NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

MS-7

Launch Time
Wed Feb 18, 1998 13:58 UTC

Rocket

Delta II 7920-10C
Image Credit: ULA
Boeing
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 3,511 kN
Payload to LEO: 4,844 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 9
Rocket Height: 38.9 m
Fairing Diameter: 3.0 m
Fairing Height: 8.9 m

Mission Details

MS-7

Iridium provides global mobile telecommunications services using a constellation of 66 low earth orbit satellites in a 86.4° inclined orbit. Although 77 satellites were originally envisioned for the system and spawned the name based on the 77th element in the periodic table, the system has been scaled back. Motorola's Satellite Communications Group designed and manufactured the Iridium satellites with Lockheed Martin providing the LM-700A spacecraft buses.

Unlike other mobile satellite systems, Iridium employs Inter-Satellite Links to route signals from satellite to satellite using on-board signal processing. Each satellite is connected to its four neighboring satellites providing flexibility in where the ground network gateways are located. These gateways connect the Iridium network to the public switched telephone network.

Payloads: 5
Total Mass: 3,445.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

Location

SLC-2W, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

Stats

1998

11th orbital launch attempt

Delta II

68th mission
3rd mission of 1998
66th successful mission
13th consecutive successful mission