Spaceflight Now Home



Spaceflight Now +



Subscribe to Spaceflight Now Plus for access to our extensive video collections!
How do I sign up?
Video archive

Discovery to VAB

For its STS-124 mission, shuttle Discovery was transferred from its hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building for attachment to a fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters.

 Transfer | Hoist

Complex 40 toppling

The Complex 40 mobile service tower at Cape Canaveral's former Titan rocket launch pad was toppled using explosives on April 27.

 Play

STS-80: In review

Dispatching a German ultraviolet telescope and a saucer-shaped spacecraft designed to grow crystalline semiconductor thin films in the vacuum of space were launched aboard shuttle Columbia's mission in November 1996.

 Play
 X-Large

STS-79: In review

The record-setting spaceflight by astronaut Shannon Lucid aboard the Russian space station Mir concluded with shuttle Atlantis' mission in September 1996.

 Play
 X-Large

STS-77: In review

A unique payload flew aboard Endeavour's May 1996 mission designed to test inflatable structures in space.

 Play
 X-Large

STS-122: In review

The STS-122 crew narrates highlights from its mission that delivered Europe's Columbus module to the space station.

 Full presentation
 Mission film

STS-100: In review

The STS-100 astronauts narrate highlights from the April 2001 mission that installed the space station's Canadian robot arm.

 Play
 X-Large

STS-102: In review

The STS-102 astronauts narrate highlights from the March 2001 mission that conducted the first ISS resident crew exchange.

 Play
 X-Large

STS-123 landing

Shuttle Endeavour returned from space with a night landing March 26 at Kennedy Space Center.

 Play

Become a subscriber
More video



World's largest commercial satellite achieves key milestone
LOCAL/ICO JOINT NEWS RELEASE
Posted: April 29, 2008

PALO ALTO, CA and RESTON, VA -- Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space and Communications, and ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited announced the successful deployment of the ICO G1 satellite's large antenna reflector on Saturday, April 26.

ICO G1 is a Loral designed spacecraft that incorporates a 12 meter antenna reflector designed and built by Harris Corporation. The reflector utilizes a gold-plated mesh reflective surface and a unique new Harris design that allows a very large antenna reflector to stow safely and easily on the Loral 1300 satellite platform. The reflector size enables the increased performance typically required for mobile interactive media services.

ICO G1 is the largest commercial satellite launched to date, weighing nearly 15,000 pounds at liftoff, and measuring more than 27 feet high and over 100 feet wide, following solar array deployment.

On April 14, ICO successfully launched ICO G1, a geosynchronous satellite covering the United States. ICO G1 is specifically designed to deliver services to mobile users, and is the first commercial satellite to utilize a ground-based beam forming system, which allows for unprecedented flexibility in the technology it is capable of supporting. ICO is developing a mobile interactive media service, ICO mim, which features mobile video, interactive navigation and emergency communications services to consumers. Alpha trials for ICO mim will take place later in 2008 in Raleigh-Durham, NC and Las Vegas, NV.

"ICO G1 has performed flawlessly since our successful launch on April 14, 2008 and the Loral mission team has done a superb job. The solar panels deployed as planned and are producing proper current. The orbit raising was nominal and G1 is now on station at 92.85 degrees West Longitude in geosynchronous orbit," according to Bob Day, ICO senior vice president, space systems. "Last week, we deployed the 2.4 m Ka-band reflector and on Saturday, we successfully deployed the 12 meter reflector for the S-band antenna. We are on schedule and expect to make certification to the FCC by May 15, 2008 that ICO G1 is operational."

"We are very pleased to report on the performance of ICO G1 to date," said John Celli, president and chief operating officer of Space Systems/Loral. "The successful deployment of the unfurlable reflector is the result of a very close team effort between SS/L, ICO and Harris."

About ICO

ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited is a satellite communications company developing an advanced next-generation hybrid system, combining both satellite and terrestrial communications capabilities. ICO is deploying a mobile interactive media service known as ICO mim. ICO mim will combine ICO's unique interactive satellite capability with nationwide coverage to deliver a new level of navigation, enhanced roadside assistance and the ultimate mobile video experience, including 10-15 live channels of premium television content. ICO is based in Reston, Virginia.

About Space Systems/Loral

Based in Palo Alto, California, SS/L designs and builds satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As the leading provider of high-power commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to deliver spacecraft for a broad range of services including direct-to-home television, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and digital multimedia broadcasting. With a 50-year history and more than 1,400 on-orbit years logged, SS/L helps customers meet business objectives with advanced solutions based on space-proven heritage designs.

About Loral Space & Communications

Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company. Through its Space Systems/Loral subsidiary, the company is a world-class leader in the design and manufacture of satellites and satellite systems for commercial and government applications including direct-to-home television, broadband communications, wireless telephony, weather monitoring and air traffic management. Loral also owns 64 percent of Telesat Canada, one of the world's largest providers of satellite services. Telesat Canada operates a fleet of telecommunications satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, distribute direct-to-home video and broadband data services, and other value-added communications services.