Financial instruments and fair value disclosures - Financial instruments recorded at carrying value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Financial instruments and fair value disclosures
Fair value assets level 1 to level 2 transfers	$ 0	$ 0
Fair value assets level 2 to level 1 transfers	0	0
Fair value assets transfers into level 3	0	0
Fair value assets transfers out of level 3	0	0
Fair value liabilities level 1 to level 2 transfers	0	0
Fair value liabilities level 2 to level 1 transfers	0	0
Fair value liabilities transfers into level 3	0	0
Fair value liabilities transfers out of level 3	0	0
Carrying value
Financial instruments and fair value disclosures
Long-term debt, excluding finance leases and other	2,906	3,034
Orbital receivable	$ 425	$ 441

Fair value portion of orbital receivable.

No definition available.

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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of transfers of assets measured on a recurring basis out of Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy into Level 2.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bb)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of transfers of assets measured on a recurring basis out of Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy into Level 1.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of transfers of liabilities measured on a recurring basis out of Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy into Level 2.

+ References

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of transfers of liabilities measured on a recurring basis out of Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy into Level 1.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of transfers of financial instrument classified as a liability into level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of transfers of financial instrument classified as a liability out of level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of transfer of financial instrument classified as an asset into level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of transfers of financial instrument classified as an asset out of level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Details

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