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Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
17:15:00
Friday June 11, 1999
Last flight of the CZ-2C with an SD upper stage.
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
Agency
CACRocket
Height: 34.65m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 2,500 kg
Liftoff Thrust
2,962 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 3.35m
Height: 5.84m
Stages
3
18th
Mission
1st
Mission of 1999
33rd
Orbital launch attempt