It’s official. SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Friday, delivering the final 10 Iridium Next satellites to low earth orbit. All have successfully communicated with the Iridium Satellite Network Operations Center. This was the eighth and final launch for Iridium, which included 75 new satellites deployed over the span of two years.
Iridium Completes Constellation Replacement
Key Takeaways:
- SpaceX successfully completed the final launch for Iridium, deploying the last 10 Iridium Next satellites and finishing the two-year, 75-satellite replacement of its original system.
- Iridium invested $3 billion in this new, higher-bandwidth network, offering services such as global voice, Iridium Certus broadband, and the Aireon aircraft surveillance system.
- The completed 66-satellite Iridium constellation provides the only communications network with pole-to-pole coverage of the entire planet.
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