Atlas Launches ICO 2 Successfully

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Atlas Launches ICO 2 Successfully

More Information:

An Atlas IIAS successfully launched ICO 2 from Cape Canaveral, pad 36B, at 0441 UTC (9:41 p.m. June 18) on June 19. The satellite will be owned and operated by New ICO (formerly ICO Global Communications).

New ICO plans to provide wireless messaging, data transfer, telephone and Internet connectivity using small hand-held devices that can be used worldwide. Service is planned to begin in 2003, following a period of extensive customer testing in 2002.

The ICO satellite constellation will consist of 10 active satellites in two planes in a medium-Earth orbit at an altitude of 10,390 km (5610 nmi). The orbits will be inclined at 45 degrees to the equator with each plane having five operational satellites plus one spare. Initially, ICO will use it for testing of the integration of its space and ground systems, and will integrate it in the full constellation.

The 2697 kg (5944 lbm) (on-orbit mass) BSS 601M model satellite was built by Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc., which contracted with International Launch Services for the launch in order to deliver the satellite in orbit. The satellites are 25 percent higher than standard BSS 601 model busses, standing 5 meters (16 feet) high due to the transmit and receive antennas. Each satellite will carry integrated C- and S-band transponders. An onboard narrow band digital processor will perform channelization, routing and beam-forming of the S-band payload. The digital processor can route communications to mobile users anywhere in 163 S-band spot beams over 30 MHz of bandwidth. Each satellite can support 4,500 simultaneous telephone calls. The solar arrays will provide 8.900 kW of end-of-life power. Boeing is building 15 satellites for ICO, 10 of which will be active, two which will be reserved as in-space spares, two ground spares and Boeing built the one lost on Sea Launch.

The remaining 11 satellites will be spread among three launch systems, with one more planned for an Atlas 2AS, five on Boeing Delta 3 rockets and four using the Proton.

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June 19, 2001