Liberty Satellite and Technology is to buy out the planned Astrolink satellite system from its partners for $46 million and provide additional investment in the corporate and government Ka-band, high-speed network system.
Astrolink's original partners were Lockheed Martin and TRW (now Northrop Grumman) - which will build two satellites - and Telespazio of Italy. The original $3.6 billion system as envisaged in 1999 was to have consisted of nine satellites, but was scaled back and eventually suspended in late 2001, due to the downturn in the communications satellite market.
Source: Flight International