Further delays to the launch of zero gravity flights by Swiss Space Systems (Payerne) has forced daily deals website QoQa to refund tickets.
Customers had the opportunity two years ago to buy the zero-G experience tickets for just CHF999 (USD990) instead of the projected CHF2500 (USD2480). However, flights have now been delayed three times and QoQa has decided to issue refunds rather than continue to leave customers waiting. The deal was originally offered in December 2014 with flights scheduled for the second half of 2015. According to the Swiss Space Systems (S3) website, the first flights will now be offered in 2017, with a Hi Fly Malta (3L, Malta International) A340-300.
S3’s goal is to develop a suborbital space system to launch small satellites, and potentially suborbital passenger flights in the future. But the Swiss aerospace start-up has been hit by delays, including the withdrawal of Dassault Aviation (DAB, Paris Le Bourget) as an investment partner last year.
The embattled company recently obtained an extension of adjournment of bankruptcy. This came as the CEO, Pascal Jaussi, was recovering from a violent attack in which he was beaten, set on fire and left in a forest earlier this year. He suffered severe burns to more than 25% of his body. Jaussi has said that the attack was carried out by those threatened by his company’s activities.
“We have been threatened, wiretapped. Our servers have even been sabotaged,” Jaussi said in an interview with L'Illustre.
S3 is also facing eviction from its offices due to unpaid rent, according to Swiss newspaper La Liberté. S3 has appealed the eviction.
