Iridium SV92 & SV93

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

17:15:00

Friday June 11, 1999

Mission Details

Launch Notes

Last flight of the CZ-2C with an SD upper stage.

Iridium SV92 & SV93

Wiki

Iridium provides global mobile telecommunications services using a constellation of 66 low-earth orbit satellites in an 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 onboard 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.

Low Earth Orbit

2 Payloads

1,378 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Long March 2C/SD

Active 1997 to 2003

China Aerospace Corporation logo

Agency

CAC

Rocket

Height: 34.65m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 2,500 kg

Liftoff Thrust

2,962 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 3.35m

Height: 5.84m

Stages

3

Launch Site

LC-7

Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China

Fastest Turnaround

32 days 15 hours

Stats

Long March 2C


18th

Mission

1st

Mission of 1999

1999


33rd

Orbital launch attempt