Iridium rival satellite plunges into the sea

ICO Global Communications lost its first satellite yesterday after the failure to ignite of the Boeing Sea Launch rocket that was supposed to catapult it into space. The company says the Sea Launch rocket suffered an "anomaly" after an apparently successful lift-off on Sunday at 2:49pm GMT. In other words it disappeared and plunged into the sea, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Sea Launch is to conduct an investigation. Insurance costs will pay for a replacement space craft. ICO says it has built 12 satellites, even though it only needs 10 to get its service up and running. Which means it can afford to lose one more, before it's buggered. Shame though, that the company couldn't have reworked its technology to take over the Iridium satellites. Each one of these is the size of a Volkswagon Beetle, and God help us all when these start dropping out of the sky. Hopefully, there will be enough money left over, following Iridium's almost inevitable demise on Friday, March 17, to decomission these beasts safely. ® Related Story Motorola tells Iridium customers to expect the worst