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Iridium

completedLaunch 1997-030
Launched 6/18/1997LEOService GSat LEO OO 1
Admin Edit
Payloads
Assets deployed on this mission, enriched from spacecraft records.
7 payloads
Iridium 10
retired
Communications
LEO
Iridium
Iridium 11
retired
CommunicationsLEOIridium
Iridium 12
retired
CommunicationsLEOIridium
Iridium 13
retired
CommunicationsLEOIridium
Iridium 14
retired
CommunicationsLEOIridium
Iridium 16
retired
CommunicationsLEOIridium
Iridium 9
retired
CommunicationsLEOIridium
Launch Details
Launch Date
6/18/1997
Launch ID
1997-030
Launch Profile
Sat LEO OO 1
Service Type
G
Customer Type
C
Orbit
LEO
Launch Stack
Operator
Khrunichev State Research and Production Center
Launch Vehicle
Proton-K
Launch Site
PU23, Ploshchadka 81L, GIK-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan
Payload Summary
Payload Count
7
Constellations
1
Payload Status
retired 7
Payload Mission Types
Communications 7
Track
Mentions
748
All verified mentions of this mission in source documents.

Iridium expects total service revenue growth of 7–9% for 2022, raised from a previous forecast of 5–7%.

FinancialGrowthValue 4.0Jul 27, 2022Iridium enters development deal to bring its network to smartphones

The two Iridium Certus Connected portable terminals offer pole-to-pole connectivity with 99.9% reliability, low latency, and capabilities including telemetry streaming and two-way messaging.

CapabilityValue 4.0Jul 27, 2022SKYTRAC Introduces Optimized Iridium Certus 100 Solution for General Aviation

Iridium’s net income for the three months to the end of June 2022 increased 19% to $4,600,000.

FinancialGeneralValue 4.0Jul 27, 2022Iridium enters development deal to bring its network to smartphones

Iridium recorded revenue of $175,000,000 for the three months to the end of June 2022, a 17% increase compared with the same period in 2021.

FinancialValue 4.6Jul 27, 2022Iridium enters development deal to bring its network to smartphones

Iridium Certus 100 provides up to 88 Kbps of bandwidth through SKYTRAC’s DLS-100 and Blue Sky Network’s SkyLink 7100 portable terminals.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.0Jul 27, 2022SKYTRAC Introduces Optimized Iridium Certus 100 Solution for General Aviation

Iridium Certus Connected terminals combined with Iridium Certus 100 enable connectivity to any airframe using small form factor devices that do not require costly installations or certifications.

CapabilityValue 3.0Jul 27, 2022SKYTRAC Introduces Optimized Iridium Certus 100 Solution for General Aviation

Iridium won a seven-year $738,500,000 DoD contract in 2019 for unlimited usage of Iridium narrowband devices for an unlimited number of subscribers.

RelationshipsFinancialValue 5.0Jun 22, 2022DoD Satcom: Big money for military satellites, slow shift to commercial services

Satelles has been providing assured PNT services to back up GNSS since 2016 over Iridium’s satellites in low Earth orbit.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Jun 7, 2022Xona to test GPS-alternative demo satellite with customer

The LT-4100 is the first Iridium Certus 100 terminal and delivers voice and data connectivity with 100% global coverage.

CapabilityValue 4.0Jun 7, 2022Maritime SATCOM connectivity increases in Nordic region

DoD signed a seven-year agreement in 2019 with Iridium Communications for unlimited use of Iridium’s mobile communications constellation.

RelationshipsPlanValue 4.0Jun 5, 2022Commercial providers of satellite services face a trust gap with military buyers

The General Dynamics Mission Systems–Iridium team will develop, equip, staff, operate, and maintain commercial-like operations centers for the Space Development Agency.

CapabilityRelationshipsGeneralValue 4.0May 30, 2022SDA Awards Million$$$ For Ground Control + Ops To General Dynamics Mission Systems + Iridium

The Exploration Company selected SKYTRAC’s Iridium Certus mid-band SATCOM terminal for data transmission from its space capsule to the ground.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.2Apr 27, 2022SKYTRAC’s Iridium Certus® SATCOM Terminal Selected By The Exploration Company For Their Nyx Space Capsule

Iridium, PlanetiQ, and GeoOptics joined a coalition of 90 companies, organizations, and associations seeking to overturn the FCC’s April 2020 approval for Ligado’s terrestrial use of L-band spectrum.

LegalRelationshipsValue 4.0Apr 26, 2022Ligado Networks critics step up opposition as service launch nears

Iridium operates a constellation of 75 communications satellites in low Earth orbit and provides satellite communications services to U.S. government and commercial customers.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Apr 23, 2022Iridium and General Dynamics submit joint bid for Space Development Agency contract

Iridium pursued the Space Development Agency contract as of 2024-04-19.

RelationshipsPlanValue 3.0Apr 23, 2022Iridium and General Dynamics submit joint bid for Space Development Agency contract

Iridium and General Dynamics Mission Systems submitted a proposal to develop system integration, ground systems, facilities, ground stations, and day-to-day network operations for the Space Development Agency’s proliferated LEO constellation.

RelationshipsPlanCapabilityValue 4.0Apr 23, 2022Iridium and General Dynamics submit joint bid for Space Development Agency contract

Iridium is bidding to operate a planned low Earth orbit constellation for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Space Development Agency Transport Layer Tranche 1.

RelationshipsPlanGovernanceValue 4.0Apr 21, 2022Iridium in talks to launch more backup satellites this year

Iridium plans to use a rideshare opportunity in 2022 to launch up to five of the six spare satellites it has been storing in Arizona.

PlanGrowthValue 4.0Apr 21, 2022Iridium in talks to launch more backup satellites this year

SpaceX launched all 75 satellites for Iridium’s $3,000,000,000 Iridium Next second-generation constellation using Falcon 9 rockets.

RelationshipsFinancialPlanGeneralValue 5.0Apr 21, 2022

Matt Desch disclosed plans to deploy Iridium’s ground spares during the company’s 2022-04-19, first-quarter earnings call.

PlanValue 3.4Apr 21, 2022Iridium in talks to launch more backup satellites this year
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Iridium in talks to launch more backup satellites this year