Axelspace determined that image delivery would be difficult for 4 GRUS-3 satellites and recorded ¥1.8 billion in impairment losses. It cut its full-year forecast and will postpone commercial operations for 3 satellites by 2 months while implementing thermal countermeasures.
Axelspace announced that the high-speed communications systems used to transmit images to the ground had suffered permanent failures on 4 of its 7 GRUS-3 small optical satellites, and determined that commercial operations would be difficult.
The company resolved to record ¥1.879 billion in impairment losses as an extraordinary loss in the first quarter of the fiscal year ending May 2027. A possible cause is damage to internal amplifier components due to insufficient heat dissipation from the power amplifier in the high-speed communications system.
The full-year earnings forecast was also cut, with revenue changed from ¥9 billion to ¥6.7 billion and the net result changed from a forecast profit to a ¥3.65 billion loss.
The 3 satellites without defects will remain in operation while measures are taken to limit temperature increases, and the start of commercial operations will be postponed from sometime in 2026 to February 2027. An advisory board will be established to independently verify the cause and countermeasures, with a final report scheduled for publication by the end of November.