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Iridium

US

Iridium Communications Inc. is a publicly traded American company that operates the Iridium satellite constellation, a system of 80 satellites in low Earth orbit. Iridium provides global voice and data communication services via handheld satellite phones, messaging devices, and integrated transceivers. The company partners with various organizations, including General Dynamics Mission Systems and SpaceX, and serves diverse sectors such as aviation, maritime, and government, offering services like the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

commercial
History · 1 eventMar 30, 2001 · Original Iridium LLC declares bankruptcy; assets acquired by newly-formed Iridium Satellite LLC
McLean, Virginia, United States
NASDAQ: IRDM
linktr.ee/IridiumComm
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Organization history

Identity changes, mergers, acquisitions, splits, and transferred business lines.

1 event

  1. Mar 30, 2001Dissolution

    Original Iridium LLC declares bankruptcy; assets acquired by newly-formed Iridium Satellite LLC

    Source
    Predecessor
    Iridium LLC (original)
    Created organization
    Iridium
    Event context

    Iridium LLC (Motorola-led, formed 1991) filed Chapter 11 on Aug 13, 1999 after ~$5B spent on the satellite constellation, undermined by high costs and terrestrial cellular competition. Following a threatened deorbit and $72M in emergency US government funding, a March 2001 bankruptcy-court fire sale (~$25M) transferred satellite assets to newly-formed Iridium Satellite LLC (private investors), which relaunched commercial service March 30, 2001. The company later went public as Iridium Communications Inc.

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