Intermediate Circular Orbit Satellite System (New ICO Satellite)
New ICO (formerly ICO Global Communications) was a planned global mobile satellite communications system based on a constellation of medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites manufactured by Boeing. The system was intended to provide digital voice and data services, including GSM-compatible services, using a dual-mode GSM handset capable of operating via both the ICO satellite network and terrestrial cellular systems, with a cradle accessory enabling satellite connectivity for standard GSM phones.
The redesigned New ICO constellation comprised 10 active satellites with a 12-year design life, arranged in two orthogonal MEO orbital planes at an altitude of approximately 10,390 km and an inclination of 45°. Each plane contained five operational satellites plus one in-plane spare. Each satellite was designed to cover roughly 25% of the Earth’s surface at any given time, with substantial overlap such that a user and a Satellite Access Node (SAN) would typically have two or more satellites simultaneously in view, enhancing link availability and diversity.
The terrestrial segment consisted of 12 Satellite Access Nodes distributed globally and interconnected by high-capacity terrestrial links; at least 11 SAN sites were constructed and equipped before the program was suspended. Each satellite carried an integrated C-band feeder-link payload and an S-band user-link payload, delivering approximately 5,100 W of RF power with a peak EIRP of about 58 dBW. The system was designed to support approximately 4,500 simultaneous voice circuits per satellite.
An onboard digital processor routed traffic across 163 S-band spot beams using roughly 30 MHz of S-band spectrum. The spot beams were generated by separate transmit and receive active direct-radiating phased arrays, each comprising 127 radiating elements, enabling dynamic beamforming and efficient frequency reuse.
The satellites were intended to be launched directly into their operational MEO orbits. The first spacecraft (F1) was lost in a launch failure in 2000. The second satellite (F2) was successfully launched in 2001 and remained operational—but unused commercially—until March 2012. Contractual disputes between ICO and Boeing led to termination of the satellite manufacturing and launch contracts in early 2004, and no further satellites were launched.
In 2012, Omnispace acquired the F2 satellite along with associated spectrum and regulatory filing rights, with the intention of using them as the foundation for a new satellite communications system.