A launch problem will not delay the expected 23 September debut of the Iridium satellite telecommunications service, project officials said Tuesday.
"The Delta II launch could happen any time within the next 60 days, and it wouldn’t delay the start of commercial service," said Edward Staiano, Iridium's CEO, in remarks before the National Press Club. Engineers still have major tasks ahead of them, including the installation of the system’s software, integration of the parts of the network, and the construction of the islands of interconnections between the satellites that are blanketing the globe.
"The launching of satellites turns out to be one of our smallest problems," Staiano noted.
The presence of vapor during the loading of propellant in the upper stage of the Delta II grounded what was to be the final launch, originally scheduled for 26 April from Vandenberg Air Force Base. In the meantime, two more satellites are scheduled for launch from China on 30 April. Liftoff for the final five satellites is expected within the next 10 days. In all, Iridium will have 66 satellites, plus spares.
In the meantime, technicians will be testing the network to see how it handles a simulated load of calls. The Iridium network will offer customers the ability to call from anywhere in the world using one phone, ridding them of the hassle of renting phones as they travel. To do this, the network must fit into areas where a cellular network already exists while acting as the local telecommunications network in places that are either underserved or where there is no phone service.
Staiano said the project is counting upon the mobile worker –- someone who works in a remote outpost or is constantly traveling the globe –- as the service’s primary customer. Through partnerships with cellular companies, Iridium hopes to help make it easier for wireless subscribers to extend their phone’s reach.
Through its Nomad program, Iridium plans to offer phone service to developing nations, those where families earn US$10,000 per year or less. In these countries, Iridium will subsidize service, giving the governments phones at $90 per month for 300 minutes along with stock in the consortium at the original purchase price of $13.33 per share. Iridium will provide additional free phones for emergency assistance, plus 1,000 hours of free air time per month for disaster relief services.
Iridium is bidding to be the first global satellite communications network, promising to give users the ability to send and receive calls and pages no matter where they are. Typically, users have to deal with dropped calls or different communications protocols (and the need for a different phone) as they travel. Iridium officials will rely on a network of satellites in low-earth orbit (240 miles high) to provide high-speed communications through one phone. There is a catch: Users must have an Iridium phone or a cellular service that allows them to pay for extended service.
Besides roaming capabilities, Iridium is also promising simpler billing and services systems, Staiano said. Regardless of the country or the currency, he said, users will receive one bill for all their calls, tabulated in their national currency.
