Iridium NEXT is the company's next-generation satellite constellation used for exchange and enhancing its existing network of low-Earth orbit satellites.
The satellites were delivered into low-Earth orbit close to one hour when the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket raised faraway from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Calif. at 9:54:39 am. PST. This is the beginning of a series of Iridium NEXT launches scheduled over succeeding 18 months, and marks the start of one of the most important "tech refreshes" in history, fully replacing the only satellite constellation providing 100% actually global communications coverage.
Once totally deployed, Iridium NEXT can change a brand new broadband multi-service capability known as Iridium CertusSM. Among those technologies may be a distinctive hosted payload from Iridium's partner Aireon, which can provide a real-time global aircraft surveillance service, extending aircraft visibility across the earth.
The first 10 Iridium NEXT satellites were delivered to a 625 km, after meeting testing and validation necessities, the satellites are going to be moved into their 780km operational orbit, every moving at more or less 17,000 miles per hour.
"Today Iridium launches a brand new era within the history of our company and a brand new era in space as we have a tendency to begin to deliver the next-generation of satellite communications," aforesaid Matt Desch, chief officer of Iridium."
Thales Alenia space, System Prime Contractor for the program, and their contractor for production, Orbital ATK, are integral within the development of the Iridium NEXT program, from the planning and producing of the Iridium NEXT satellite vehicles to managing an 18-station.
Iridium and SpaceX are partnered for a series of seven launches, deploying 10 Iridium NEXT satellites at a time. The second Iridium NEXT launches are going to be scheduled when this testing is completed, in April. The complete Iridium NEXT network is scheduled to be completed by mid-2018.
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