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                                                                     EXHIBIT 3.1




                          CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                       ORBITAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    1. The name of this corporation is Orbital Communications Corporation.

    2. The registered office of this corporation in the State of Delaware is
located at 1013 Centre Road, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle.
The name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.

    3. The purpose of this corporation is to engage in any lawful act or
activity for which corporations may be organized under the Delaware General
Corporation Law.

    4. The name and mailing address of the incorporator is: Charles B. Mathias,
Suite 1200S, 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.

    5. The total number of shares of stock that this corporation shall have
authority to issue is 3,000 shares of Common Stock, $.0l par value per share.
Each share of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote.

    6. Except as provided to the contrary in the provisions establishing a class
or series of stock, the amount of the authorized stock of this corporation of
any class or classes may be increased or decreased by the affirmative vote of
the holders of a majority of the stock of this corporation entitled to vote.

    7. The election of directors need not be by ballot unless the by-laws shall
so require.

    8. In furtherance and not in limitation of the power conferred upon the
board of directors by law, the board of directors shall have power to make,
adopt, alter, amend and repeal from time to time by-laws of this corporation,
subject to the right of the stockholders entitled to vote with respect thereto
to alter and repeal by-laws made by the board of directors.

    9. A director of this corporation shall not be liable to the corporation or
its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a
director, except to the extent that exculpation from liability is not permitted
under the Delaware General Corporation Law as in effect at the time such
liability is determined. No amendment or repeal of this paragraph 9 shall apply
to or have any effect on the liability or alleged liability of any director of
the corporation for or with respect to any acts or omissions of such director
occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.

   10. This corporation shall, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time
under the law of the State of Delaware, indemnify and upon request advance
expenses to any person who is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or claim,
whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact
that such person is or was or has agreed to be a director or officer of this
corporation or while a director or officer is or was serving at the request of
this corporation as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of
any corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against expenses,






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(including attorney's fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties and
amounts paid in settlement incurred in connection with the investigation,
preparation to defend or defense of such action, suit, proceeding or claim;
provided, however, that the foregoing shall not require this corporation to
indemnify or advance expenses to any person in connection with any action, suit,
proceeding, claim or counterclaim initiated by or on behalf of such person. Such
indemnification shall not be exclusive of other indemnification rights arising
under any by-law, agreement, vote of directors or stockholders or otherwise and
shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and legal representatives of such
person. Any person seeking indemnification under this paragraph 10 shall be
deemed to have met the standard of conduct required for such indemnification
unless the contrary shall be established. Any repeal or modification of the
foregoing provision of this paragraph 10 shall not adversely affect any right or
protection of a director or officer of this corporation with respect to any acts
or omissions of such director or officer occurring prior to such repeal or
modification.

   11. The books of this corporation may (subject to any statutory requirements)
be kept outside the State of Delaware as may be designated by the board of
directors or in the by-laws of this corporation.

   12. If at any time this corporation shall have a class of stock registered
pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, for so long
as such class is so registered, any action by the stockholders of such class
must be taken at an annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be
taken by written consent.

   THE UNDERSIGNED, the sole incorporator named above, hereby certifies that the
facts stated above are true as of this 16th day of February, 1990.




                               /s/ CHARLES B. MATHIAS
                               ----------------------------------
                               Charles B. Mathias
                               Sole Incorporator








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