ARLINGTON, Virginia, United States—Iridium Satellite announced the five satellites it launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on 11 February have ascended into their assigned orbits and are fully functional.
The new satellites join seven existing in-orbit spares to enhance Iridium’s voice and data communications network, and Iridium has plans to launch two more spares in June to add to the constellation.
“Over the last several months, we’ve seen an increased interest and demand for the mission-critical capabilities our services can provide, and as a result, we are ahead of our business plan,” said Gino Picasso, Iridium’s chief executive officer. “This launch offers further proof that Iridium is very much in business and poised to leverage the many new opportunities we see in the marketplace.”
The satellites bring the total in orbit to 78.
The launch marks the first time since 1998 that satellites have been added to the low-earth-orbit constellation. The satellites will be used as spares.
