The launch of the second ICO Global Communications satellite aboard a Boeing Delta III from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 31 May, has been delayed to 5 October at the request of ICO. The communications company lost the ICO-F1 satellite in a Sea Launch failure on 12 March and is in the midst of a financial restructuring. Boeing, which is keen for a successful Delta III flight after suffering failures on the first two missions in August 1998 and May 1999, is considering flying the booster this summer with a dummy payload on a demonstration mission. The Delta III is booked for 18 customer missions through to 2002.
Source: Flight International
