After a successful first launch, the next order of business is ensuring that each of the first ten satellites successfully arrived in orbit and telemetry has been received. Iridium is proud to share that all ten Iridium NEXT satellites have successfully been deployed and are functioning nominally. The ten satellites are now undergoing testing and validation in preparation for the future satellite replacement process known as a âslot swapâ. Overall, this testing and replacement phase will be completed in an approximately 90-day timeframe, after which the second launch of ten Iridium NEXT satellites will be cleared to proceed.
âYesterdayâs launch was a moment that will be forever remembered in Iridiumâs history. With all ten Iridium NEXT satellites now sending telemetry to our engineers, we begin the next phase of this unprecedented program,â says Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. âThe complexity of this testing and validation process is astounding; however, our team has been preparing for this moment for years and weâre more than ready for the challenge.â
This process is being managed by the talented team located at Iridiumâs Satellite Network Operations Center (SNOC) in Leesburg, Va., with support from Thales Alenia Space, Iridiumâs prime manufacturing partner.
Stay tuned for all the latest from Iridium here at Iridium360 and on Iridiumâs social pages â Twitter â Facebook â LinkedIn. To learn more about Iridium NEXT and the ground-breaking new capabilities it will enable, please visit www.iridiumnext.com.
Today, January 14, 2017, marks a historic day in Iridium history â the first payload of ten Iridium NEXT satellites have been launched and deployed into low-Earth orbit (LEO) by our launch partner, SpaceX. This highly anticipated first launch took place at SpaceXâs west coast launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, at approximately 9:54:39 am PST.
This is the first in a series of seven Iridium NEXT launches, which are scheduled over the next 15 months with SpaceX. Each launch will include a payload of ten Iridium NEXT satellites â the heaviest payload yet to fly on a Falcon 9 â and begin a one-for-one satellite replacement of Iridiumâs existing global satellite constellation, the largest commercial satellite constellation in space. This process is known as a âslot swapâ, and one of this scale has never been attempted before. Due to the size and complexity of this endeavor, Iridium NEXT has been referred to as one of the largest âtech refreshesâ in history.
âToday Iridium launches a new era in the history of our company and a new era in space as we start to deliver the next-generation of satellite communications,â said Matt Desch, chief executive officer of Iridium. âWe have been working endless hours for the last eight years to get to this day, and to finally be here with ten Iridium NEXT satellites successfully deployed into low-Earth orbit is a fulfilling moment. We are incredibly thankful for all of the hard work from our team, as well as our partners, to help us achieve this milestone.â
In addition to partnering with SpaceX for the launch of 70 Iridium NEXT satellites, the manufacturing, assembly and testing of all 81 satellites is being conducted by Thales Alenia Space and their subcontractor for production, Orbital ATK. Both partners have played integral roles in the Iridium NEXT program, including the management of an 18-station, state-of-the art assembly line production system, making today a possibility.
The hosted payloads onboard the Iridium NEXT satellites are manufactured by Harris Corporation and will include a payload from Iridiumâs partner Aireon, which will for the first time provide a real-time global aircraft tracking and surveillance service for air traffic controllers and airlines, extending aircraft visibility across the planet.
The next major milestone will be the validation that all ten satellites are receiving telemetry from our Satellite Network Operations Center (SNOC) in Leesburg, VA, and the completion of on-orbit testing of these satellites, to validate performance requirements are met. The second Iridium NEXT launch will be scheduled after this testing is completed, in April. The entire Iridium NEXT network is scheduled to be completed in 2018.
Please stay tuned for more information on Iridium NEXT by checking IridiumÂź 360 and all social platforms for real-time updates!
For more information about Iridium NEXT, please visit www.iridiumnext.com.
Itâs January 13th and the teams from Iridium, SpaceX and our partners are in the homestretch for the first launch of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. Final preparations are being made for tomorrowâs inaugural launch, and with that comes a number of high-stakes verifications, involving all parties. Traditionally referred to as the âcountdown dress rehearsalâ and âLaunch Readiness Reviewâ (LRR), these milestones represent the final hurdles to clearing the path for the January 14th launch.
âThere are so many variables that need to be considered when finalizing launch preparations, and a slight deviation or unexpected behavior by any of them can jeopardize the launch integrity,â said Iridium COO Scott Smith. âWeâve perfected the necessary procedures, taken every precaution we can imagine, and tomorrow, after what has felt like centuries, weâll take the first step on a long-awaited journey to revolutionize satellite communications. The success of todayâs events has brought us to an apex moment.â
The countdown dress rehearsal and LRR include several prelaunch inspections and quality control measures. These include final clearances for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Iridium NEXT payload, SpaceX and IridiumÂź ground infrastructure and associated team member responsibilities.
The launch will be broadcast here http://www.spacex.com/webcast with the live feed available starting at 9:34am PST and the launch taking place at 9:54am PST.
Yesterday, all eyes at Iridium and SpaceX were focused on Vandenberg Air Force Baseâs SpaceX launch pad. With great anticipation, team members observed the static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket that will deliver the first ten Iridium NEXT satellites to orbit. Iridium is excited to share that the test is complete, and that SpaceX is reporting that the rocket should be ready for the first launch of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation next week. The target launch date is now Monday, January 9th at 10:22 am PST, weather permitting.
“With completion of the static fire test, our first launch has just gotten that much closer,” said Matt Desch, chief executive officer at Iridium. “The Iridium team has been anxiously awaiting launch day, and weâre now all the more excited to send those first ten Iridium NEXT satellites into orbit.”
Static fire tests are conducted with the rocket locked to the launch pad to ensure the rocket engines are operating as expected. This marks the first static fire test for the seven launches that are planned for the Iridium NEXT program.
Make sure to follow us on our social pages and stay tuned to our blog, Iridium360, for more updates. For more information about Iridium NEXT, please visit www.IridiumNext.com.
