Satellite & Space Insurance
First-party protection for satellite hardware, from pre-launch through in-orbit operation.
This is an estimate, not a bound policy — a licensed VAB producer confirms final terms before coverage starts. Sgt. Savings can answer questions but can't quote, bind, or guarantee coverage.
A satellite represents massive capital investment that spends its entire operational life somewhere you can't physically inspect or repair it. This coverage protects satellite operators and manufacturers through every phase of the asset's life — pre-launch, launch and in-orbit testing, ongoing in-orbit operation, and the ground support equipment that keeps it running — with a defined loss formula for total, constructive-total, and partial losses. It's first-party property protection for the hardware itself, not liability coverage.
Who This Is Really For
The ideal buyer.
The ideal buyer is a satellite operator or manufacturer with an asset moving through — or about to move through — pre-launch integration, launch, and in-orbit testing, representing capital they genuinely cannot inspect or repair once it's operating. They've usually already mapped out how much is riding on each mission phase and know that a generic commercial property policy has no framework for evaluating a partial loss on hardware in orbit. Companies operating constellations are often thinking about this at a program level, not asset-by-asset, since they need coverage that scales with an operational life that spans years. This fits them because it's built with a defined loss formula specifically for total, constructive-total, and partial losses during launch and in-orbit testing — the exact evaluation framework a standard property policy has no way to apply. The trigger that sends them looking right now is usually an approaching launch date, a new constellation program, or a lender or investor requiring the asset be insured through its full mission life.
- Satellite operators with an asset moving through pre-launch, launch, and in-orbit testing phases
- Satellite manufacturers who retain risk on hardware during pre-launch integration and testing
- Companies operating satellite constellations who need in-orbit coverage for the operational life of each asset
- Ground support operations that need their equipment covered as part of the same program as the satellite itself
- Organizations evaluating launch risk who need a defined loss formula for total and partial loss scenarios
What It Covers
Coverage, broken down.
Pre-launch property coverage
Covers the satellite and its property while still on the ground, before launch — protecting the asset during integration, testing, and pre-launch handling.
Launch and in-orbit testing coverage
Covers total, constructive-total, and partial losses during launch and the in-orbit testing phase, evaluated against a defined loss formula.
In-orbit coverage
Extends protection into the satellite's ongoing in-orbit operational life, beyond the initial testing phase.
Ground support equipment coverage
Covers the ground support equipment that supports satellite operations, so the program isn't limited to the orbiting asset alone.
Illustrative Scenario — How This Coverage Responds
Illustrative scenario — a partial loss identified during in-orbit testing
Imagine a satellite reaches orbit and, during in-orbit testing, a subsystem underperforms in a way that constitutes a partial loss under the policy's defined loss formula — short of a total or constructive-total loss, but a real functional degradation. Because this coverage is built to respond to total, constructive-total, and partial losses identified during the launch and in-orbit testing phase using that defined loss formula, the degradation would be evaluated against the policy's formula and terms. This is a walkthrough to illustrate how the coverage responds, not a description of an actual claim or a promised payout — every claim depends on its own facts.
Illustrative example for education only — not a claim outcome or a promise of payment. Every claim depends on the actual policy issued and its terms.
More Than One Way In
More scenarios.
Real coverage doesn't fit one story. Here's who else this shows up for.
The operator insuring a constellation program
A company operating a satellite constellation structures coverage across the full program rather than asset-by-asset, since each satellite moves through the same pre-launch, launch, and in-orbit phases on a staggered schedule as the constellation builds out. This scenario is illustrative only, not a description of an actual claim or a promised payout.
The manufacturer retaining pre-launch risk
A satellite manufacturer retains risk on hardware during pre-launch integration and testing under its contract with the operator, and secures pre-launch property coverage to protect that capital investment while it's still on the ground. This scenario is illustrative only, not a description of an actual claim or a promised payout.
The operator meeting a lender's insurance requirement
A satellite operator financing a launch through a lender is required to show the asset is insured through pre-launch, launch, in-orbit testing, and ongoing operation as a condition of financing, and secures coverage across each of those phases to satisfy that requirement. This scenario is illustrative only, not a description of an actual claim or a promised payout.
Know The Gaps
What this doesn't cover.
Every policy has limits. Knowing them before you buy is how you avoid a denied claim later.
This is first-party coverage only — no liability coverage of any kind is included
This protects the satellite hardware itself, not liability claims arising from its operation — operators need separate liability coverage if that's an exposure they carry.
Pre-existing or known anomalies aren't covered
Disclose any known issues with the hardware honestly during underwriting — an anomaly that was already known about before coverage started isn't a covered loss.
Wear, tear, and degradation within expected specifications aren't covered
Normal, expected performance degradation over the asset's operational life isn't a covered loss — this responds to unexpected loss events, not the ordinary aging of the hardware.
Launch delay and loss-of-market losses aren't covered
The financial impact of a delayed launch on your market position isn't part of this coverage — it protects the physical asset, not schedule-driven financial exposure.
Damage from anti-satellite weapons is excluded
This is a distinct, extreme risk category outside standard commercial satellite coverage — operators with unusual exposure here should have a direct conversation with their agent about what, if anything, is available.
Unlicensed launch or operation isn't covered
Keep all required launch and operating licenses current and in order — an unlicensed launch or operation voids coverage regardless of the cause of loss.
Behind The Quote
What goes into the decision.
What actually moves your price and your approval — no black box.
Mission phase and coverage start point
Whether coverage needs to start pre-launch, at launch, or at in-orbit testing shapes the structure and pricing of the policy — an operator's specific program timeline determines which phases actually need to be underwritten.
Disclosure of known hardware anomalies
Pre-existing or known anomalies aren't covered, so full and honest disclosure of any known hardware issues during underwriting is what keeps a future loss within the defined covered-event scope.
Licensing status for launch and operation
An unlicensed launch or operation voids coverage regardless of the cause of loss, so current, valid launch and operating licenses are a baseline eligibility factor underwriting checks closely.
Ground support equipment scope
Because ground support equipment is part of the same program, the operator's ground infrastructure — not just the orbiting asset — factors into how the overall policy is scoped and priced.
Loss formula application to the specific asset
The policy's defined loss formula for total, constructive-total, and partial losses needs to be matched to the specific satellite's design and mission profile, so the technical specifics of the asset shape how a future claim would actually be evaluated.
Let's get you covered.
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Availability
Coverage territory is defined as anywhere on Earth, in the atmosphere, and in space; your agent will confirm state-specific terms for the underlying policy during the quote.
Questions, answered straight
No jargon on satellite & space insurance — just what you're actually asking.
Coverage can start pre-launch, protecting the satellite while it's still on the ground during integration and testing, and then carries through launch, in-orbit testing, and ongoing in-orbit operation.
The policy uses a defined loss formula to evaluate total, constructive-total, and partial losses during the launch and in-orbit testing phase — your agent can walk through exactly how that formula applies to your specific asset and mission profile.
Yes — ground support equipment coverage is part of the program, so you're not left insuring the orbiting asset separately from the infrastructure that supports it.
No — this is first-party coverage only, protecting your own hardware. It doesn't include liability coverage for damage your satellite might cause to another party's asset.
Coverage territory is defined broadly as anywhere on Earth, in Earth's atmosphere, and in space — it isn't limited to a specific geographic region the way ground-based property coverage would be.
Beyond This Coverage
What people in your situation also need.
Business Banking
Satellite operators and manufacturers managing capital-intensive programs benefit from a banking relationship built for large, phased project spending.
ExploreEquipment Financing
Ground support equipment and manufacturing hardware are often financed alongside the coverage that protects the satellite program.
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Learn moreReady to talk it through?
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Insurance products described on this page are marketed by The Veteran Alliance, a licensed insurance producer, and underwritten by one or more separately licensed insurance companies, which may include Corgi Insurance Company and its affiliates. The insurer that actually underwrites your policy, its licensing status in your state, and any state-required notices will be identified in your quote and policy documents. Coverage, limits, eligibility, and pricing are determined by the underwriting insurer, may vary by state, and may change. Nothing on this page is a quote, an offer of insurance, a binder, or a guarantee of coverage — coverage takes effect only when a policy is issued.