NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Iridium SV09 to 14 & 16

Launch Time
Wed Jun 18, 1997 14:02 UTC

Rocket

Proton-K/Block-DM2
Roscosmos
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 9,548 kN
Payload to LEO: 19,000 kg
Payload to GTO: 2,500 kg
Stages: 4
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 56.14 m
Fairing Diameter: 3.9 m
Fairing Height: 8.9 m

Mission Details

Iridium SV09 to 14 & 16

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: 6
Total Mass: 4,134.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

Location

Site 81/23, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Stats

1997

32nd orbital launch attempt

Proton-K

243rd mission
3rd mission of 1997
213th successful mission
3rd consecutive successful mission