The launch of a six-ton satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Friday was not only the first phase of a plan aimed at boosting the capacity of worldwide broadband data transmission, it was the culmination of years of groundbreaking risk analysis by Aon's space risk experts, resulting in a new kind of insurance coverage. Aon partnered with U.K.-based Inmarsat to broker create this specialized risk coverage for the Inmarsat-4 F-1 communications satellite.

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"Space is the foundation for more of today's high-tech communications than most people realize," according to Ted Johnson, managing director of the Washington, DC-based Aon Space group. "Aon has been supporting commercial space ventures since 1998. We're proud that the partnership between Inmarsat's satellite engineers and Aon's space technology experts has resulted in insurance coverage that has made this historic launch possible."

Roughly the size of a double-decker bus, the Inmarsat satellite is one of the largest and most powerful commercial communication satellites ever launched. The I-4 will make data transfers of up to 432 kilobits per second (kbit/s) possible for mobile users virtually anywhere in the world, according to Inmarsat's Director of Corporate and Investor Communications, Chris McLaughlin.

"The I-4 satellites are part of a $1.5 billion program designed to enhance voice and high-bandwidth data communications around the world," McLaughlin says. "The launch of the Inmarsat-4 F-1 satellite is an important first step in bringing broadband to a mobile planet."

Aon spent several years working closely with company executives to design an insurance program tailor-made for the I-4. "This was a noteworthy benchmark for satellite risk analysis," he said. "It was 'clean sheet of paper' stuff; a true partnership."

After being appointed Inmarsat's broker in September, 2001, the first thing Aon's space risk experts had to do was determine whether the I-4 was even insurable. "It was something no one had ever seen before," according to Aon Space Senior Vice President Tim Rush. Once insurability was determined, Rush said the next challenge was figuring out what would constitute an actual loss. "There was a great deal of emphasis in the beginning on defining the risk and crafting the coverage," Rush said. "How do you measure and quantify a loss of this type? What happens if there's an impairment to the satellite's systems that diminishes its value? These are some of the questions we had to ask ourselves."

From its geostationary Earth orbit of 36,000 km, the solar-powered Inmarsat-4 will significantly increase the available bandwidth for global mobile data transmission via satellite. According to Inmarsat experts, the I- 4 is different from a conventional commercial communications satellite because it can focus power through very narrow beams to a small area on the Earth, and the beams can be dynamically repositioned according to requirements.

Inmarsat was established in 1979 as a maritime-focused satellite communications operator. The company owns and operates a fleet of 10 satellites supporting links for phone, fax and data communications to more than a quarter of a million ship, vehicle, aircraft and portable terminals.

Aon provides risk management and insurance brokering services, particularly in asset and revenue protection to all sectors of the satellite communications industry. Aon's space insurance specialists have extensive experience in placing coverage for cutting-edge technologies, working closely with engineers who understand the mechanics of satellites and the challenges and opportunities inherent in the space industry.

About Aon

Aon Corporation ( http://www.aon.com/ ) is a leading provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, human capital and management consulting, and specialty insurance underwriting. The company employs approximately 48,000 professionals in its 500 offices in more than 120 countries. Backed by broad resources, industry knowledge and technical expertise, Aon professionals help a wide range of clients develop effective risk management and workforce productivity solutions.

   Contact:
   Al Orendorff
   Aon U.S. Public Relations
   312-381-3153

This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from either historical or anticipated results, depending on a variety of factors. Potential factors that could impact results include the general economic conditions in different countries around the world, fluctuations in global equity and fixed income markets, exchange rates, rating agency actions, resolution of pending regulatory investigations and related issues, including those related to compensation arrangements with underwriters, pension funding, ultimate paid claims may be different from actuarial estimates and actuarial estimates may change over time, changes in commercial property and casualty markets and commercial premium rates, the competitive environment, the actual costs of resolution of contingent liabilities and other loss contingencies, and the heightened level of potential errors and omissions liability arising from placements of complex policies and sophisticated reinsurance arrangements in an insurance market in which insurer reserves are under pressure. Further information concerning the Company and its business, including factors that potentially could materially affect the Company's financial results, is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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SOURCE: Aon Corporation

CONTACT: Al Orendorff, Aon U.S. Public Relations, +1-312-381-3153

Web site: http://www.aon.com/