PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Arianespace back on the launch pad; Airbus deliveries up in July; Alaska Airlines says no mask exemptions

Our weekly compendium of coronavirus news

• Arianespace is scheduled to launch a pair of communications satellites and a Northrop Grumman Mission Extension Vehicle spacecraft on Friday, the first since the company halted operations at the French Guiana spaceport in March, according to a press release. The company delayed the launch shortly before the first attempt in July, citing “unexpected behavior” of a sensor in the liquid hydrogen tank of the Ariane V rocket.
• The coronavirus pandemic has delayed production of the first Viasat-3 broadband satellite, CEO Mark Dankberg told analysts during an Aug. 7 earnings call, but the company is still planning for a 2021 launch.
• Airbus reported 49 plane deliveries during July, a 36% increase over the 36 delivered in June.
• U.S. President Donald Trump last week said he supports Congress extending the payroll support grants and loans airlines received under the CARES Act, currently set to expire Oct. 1. “We don’t want to lose our airlines, so if they’re looking at that, whether they’re Republican or Democrat, I’d be certainly in favor,” Trump told reporters during an Aug. 5 White House briefing. “We can’t lose our transportation system.”
• As of Aug. 7, all Alaska Airlines passengers over the age of 2 must wear a face covering at all times in the airport and aboard Alaska aircraft. There are no exceptions for medical conditions. “If you don’t wear a mask, you won’t be flying with us,” said Max Tidwell, vice president of safety and security, in a press release.