Buoyed by its contract from the Pentagon to use the bankrupt Iridium satellite system, the new Iridium Satellite company plans to launch 12 more Lockheed Martin-built satellites by March 2002, to be used as in-orbit spares for the existing operational 71-satellite system.
The new company has completed its purchase of the Iridium fleet for $25 million and has secured a $72 million two-year contract to provide services for up to 20,000 US Government subscribers.
Eighty-eight satellites have been launched to date, of which one re-entered the Earth's atmosphere last month, 16 have failed in orbit, and two or three are experiencing problems. Sixty-six satellites are required for the operational fleet, with the remainder as spares.
Iridium Satellite will market services at $1.50 per minute, compared with the $7 per minute charged by the owner of the original Iridium Motorola. The first Iridium suffered from high costs, including $10 million per month to operate the system, low service use and heavy and expensive handsets.
Iridium Satellite is pursuing bulk deals with several countries, which have satellite gateways and ground stations, but it will not promote the service in the mass market, concentrating on specialised industry segments instead.
Source: Flight International
