Posted: Sat, Feb 2, 2002, 9:56 AM ET (1456 GMT)
Broadband satellite communications company Teledesic announced Friday that it has signed a contract with Italian aerospace firm Alenia Spazio to build the first two satellites of a revised 30-satellite constellation. Teledesic said Friday it has revised its plans to use 30 satellites in medium Earth orbit, down from the nearly 1,000 satellites in lower orbits originally planned. The first 12 satellites, to be built for less than $1 billion, will be sufficient to provide continuous service in selected regions of the world; the other 18 will permit full global coverage. While Alenia Spazio, the company that build the Globalstar satellites, will build the first two Teledesic spacecraft, Teledesic officials said they are in negotiation with Alenia Spazio and other companies regarding the assembly of the other spacecraft.

Related Links:

•  Teledesic press release
•  SPACEandTECH article