Iridium Next Satellite Constellation
It is designed to drive innovation create opportunities and change the way people and organizations communicate everywhere on the planet.
Iridium next satellite constellation. Click to explore exhibit an ecosystem of excellence. Optionally displays range for all 66 active iridium satellites. Optionally displays spare and non operational iridium satellites. Iridium s next steps after 20 years it was time for the next generation of iridium s constellation providing new and upgraded services to its growing list of customers and partners.
Over the next two years iridium sent an additional 65 satellites into low earth orbit to completely replace the original satellite constellation. Iridium next is the company s next generation satellite constellation replacing and enhancing its existing network of interconnected low earth orbit satellites spanning the entire globe the largest commercial satellite constellation in space. Iridium communications completed deployment of its iridium next constellation with the jan. The final iridium next launch took place on january 11 2019 less than 2 years after the first launch.
With communications solutions ranging from satellite phones to broadband iridium is trusted by more than a million mariners pilots humanitarians first responders governments and more around the world. The satellite constellation is iridium next and it consists of 75 vehicles 66 operational ones and nine spares. 11 launch of the final 10 satellites in the system. A spacex falcon 9 rocket launched the last batch of 10 satellites for the system.
The iridium next constellation is the first commercial satellite system offering spaces on each constellation member for hosted payloads in a public private partnership arrangement enabling a large infrastructure of earth monitoring payloads to be established at minimum cost. Announced in june 2010 its comprehensive plan for funding building and deploying its next generation satellite constellation iridium next to replace the original iridium constellation. Expected to begin launching in 2015 iridium next is our next generation satellite constellation and the world s largest ongoing commercial space venture. The constellation consists of 66 operational.