Though the 6-month delay in implementing the program will result in savings of only half that amount. Under the current plan, ICO Global will launch 10 Hughes- built satellites in January with first revenues to be produced in April of 2001 instead of the earlier plan that inaugurated service in October 2000. Comsat retains an indirect investment in ICO Global through its participation in Inmarsat that has significant holdings in ICO Global. Rostelecom, the Russian long-distance telephone company, ordered 25 transponders, but has paid for only 11. Another Russian company Sistema Telecom ordered 8 transponders, but has not to-date paid for them.
Instrumentation is scheduled by the end of the month.
QuickBird 1 will be launched from Plesetsk in the first quarter of 2000. Another scenario is that there is an electronics problem, which will resolve when the computer automatically resets when the spacecraft enters Earth's shadow. The satellite was designed to study the Earth's magnetic field and its interaction with the sun. The firing originally slated for October 20 has been rescheduled for October 30. The delay will allow engineers to continue their evaluation of all spacecraft systems and procedures.