Seventh Set of Iridium® NEXT Satellites are Performing Well During Pre-Operational Testing
Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) announced today that the 10 Iridium NEXT satellites launched on Wedesday, July 25th, by SpaceX are functioning nominally and have begun the testing and validation process. The launch brought the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in orbit to 65, leaving just one more launch of 10 satellites to complete the Iridium NEXT launch program.
“It’s incredible that we only have one more Iridium NEXT launch to go,” said Scott Smith, chief operating officer at Iridium. “Since Wedneday’s launch, the team is focused on settling these 10 new satellites into their designated slots, all in plane five. Once we are done with this batch, plane five will be comprised of all Iridium NEXT satellites, and we will be ready and waiting for the final launch of this historic program.”
The Iridium constellation is comprised of six polar orbiting planes, each containing 11 operational crosslinked satellites, for a total of 66 satellites in the active constellation. This unique architecture creates a web of coverage around the earth, enabling Iridium to provide real-time communications over the oceans and from even the most remote locations. One more Iridium NEXT launch is scheduled for 2018, which will bring Iridium’s total number of new satellites in orbit to 75, including nine spares. A total of 81 satellites are being built, including 66 operational, nine on-orbit spares and six ground spares.
For more information about Iridium NEXT, please visit www.IridiumNEXT.com.
About Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables connections between people, organizations and assets to and from anywhere, in real time. Together with its ecosystem of partner companies, Iridium delivers an innovative and rich portfolio of reliable solutions for markets that require truly global communications. The company has a major development program underway for its next-generation network – Iridium NEXT. Iridium Communications Inc. is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A., and its common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol IRDM. For more information about Iridium products, services and partner solutions, visit www.iridium.com.
