Iridium NEXT.

[Salo]

http://investor.iridium.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1011939

Feb 15, 2017
Iridium Announces Target Date for Second Launch of Iridium NEXT
Second of eight launches now expected mid-June

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) announced it has received a targeted launch date of mid-June for the second mission of ten Iridium NEXT satellites. Originally anticipated for mid-April of 2017, the date has shifted due to a backlog in SpaceX's launch manifest as a result of last year's September 1st anomaly. This second launch will deliver another ten Iridium NEXT satellites to low-Earth-orbit (LEO) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX is targeting six subsequent Iridium NEXT launches approximately every two months thereafter.

"After such a successful first launch, we are eager to maintain the momentum until our network is completed," said Matt Desch, chief executive officer at Iridium. "Even with this eight week shift, SpaceX's targeted schedule completes our constellation in mid-2018."

This announcement comes as Iridium has successfully connected the first Iridium NEXT satellite via its crosslinks into its global LEO constellation. The new satellite is expected to begin providing service to Iridium customers in the coming days. This marks a major milestone for the Iridium NEXT program as the testing and validation phase is ahead of schedule and the satellites are working well.

"Our team at our Satellite Network Operations Center has been working around-the-clock to confirm the health and performance of these new satellites," said Scott Smith, chief operating officer at Iridium. "Since their perfect orbit injection and deployment by SpaceX, our satellite testing process has progressed ahead of schedule, a testament to the rigorous development program they've undergone on the ground."

The upcoming mid-June launch will mark the second mission of eight Iridium NEXT launches with SpaceX, including the recently announced satellite rideshare with NASA and GFZ's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on mission (GRACE-FO). In total, Iridium currently has plans to launch 75 Iridium NEXT satellites — 66 to serve as operational satellites and nine as on-orbit spares.

For additional information about Iridium NEXT, please go to www.iridiumnext.com .

[tnt22]

SPACE.com ‏@SPACEdotcom 15 мин. назад
 
SpaceX Delays Next Iridium Launch Two Months http://dlvr.it/NQph5Z 
 
 

[tnt22]

http://spacenews.com/spacex-delays-next-iridium-launch-two-months/

SpaceX delays next Iridium launch two months
by Caleb Henry — February 15, 2017

Спойлер

A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off fr om Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, carrying 10 Iridium Next satellites. Credit: SpaceX

[свернуть]

WASHINGTON — Iridium Communications says SpaceX has pushed back the launch of its second batch of next-generation satellites from mid-April to mid-June, a move that shifts the expected completion date for Iridium Next to the middle of 2018.

In a Feb. 15 statement, Iridium said the two-monthly launch delay is "due to a backlog in SpaceX's launch manifest as a result of last year's September 1st anomaly."

Iridium's satellites are launching 10 at a time on Falcon 9 rockets lifting off from  from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California — part of what Iridium Chief Executive Matthew Desch described last June as a "separate queue" from SpaceX missions launching from the more frequently used Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. However, that was before a Falcon 9 exploded on the Cape's Pad 40 during a routine pre-flight test. The accident halted SpaceX launches for four-and-half months. Falcon 9 returned to flight Jan. 14 delivering the first 10 Iridium Next satellites to orbit.
 
SpaceX launched only eight of the 18 missions it had targeted for 2016, shifting 10 missions onto an already-crowded 2017 manifest. The combination of SpaceX's tightly packed manifest and limited launch range availability has put pressure on Iridium Next despite its preferred status at Vandenberg.

Iridium expects SpaceX to launch a fresh batch of Iridium satellites every two months starting with the mid-June launch. Iridium has seven more launches to complete: six with 10 satellites each and one with five that will be shared with a pair of U.S.-German science satellites dubbed the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on mission (GRACE-FO).

"After such a successful first launch, we are eager to maintain the momentum until our network is completed," Desch said in a prepared statement. "Even with this eight-week shift, SpaceX's targeted schedule completes our constellation in mid-2018."

Though launches have been delayed, Iridium said in-orbit testing of the first 10 Iridium Next satellites launched Jan. 14 are ahead of schedule and should start service in the coming days.

"Since their perfect orbit injection and deployment by SpaceX, our satellite testing process has progressed ahead of schedule, a testament to the rigorous development program they've undergone on the ground," said Scott Smith, chief operating officer at Iridium.

Iridium has stitched the new satellites into its existing constellation wh ere they will interoperate until the first-generation satellites are deorbited. The satellite operator's current plan is to launch 75 out of 81 Iridium Next satellites, with 66 working operationally and nine as on-orbit spares. Iridium spokeswoman Diane Hockenberry told SpaceNews Feb. 15 that the remaining six spares will stay on the ground.

Previously Iridium planned to have only six in-orbit spares — one for each plane of satellites — but increased the number when the GRACE-FO shared launch opportunity became available.

[Salo]

Peter B. de Selding‏@pbdes  57 мин.57 минут назад
IRDM CEO(2): The 1st Iridium Next sat is now in full service, filling a hole in our coverage. 8 more to be in service by mid-April.
 
  Peter B. de Selding‏@pbdes  58 мин.58 минут назад  
 IRDM CEO: SpaceX says rocket-build rhythm improves after June & we shld get quicker rate for our 65 to-be-launched sats on 7 Falcon 9s.

[tnt22]

Iridium CorporateПодлинная учетная запись‏@IridiumComm 28 мин. назад
 
SV106 is now the first SV placed into commercial operation. Learn what goes into a slot swap. #NEXTevolution http://bit.ly/2kQ9hOz

http://blog.iridium.com/2017/02/23/first-iridium-next-satellite-now-active/

[Salo]

http://blog.iridium.com/2017/02/23/first-iridium-next-satellite-now-active/

[Salo]

https://www.spaceintelreport.com/iridium-says-2ndgeneration-satellites-working-flawlessly-as-financial-challenges-approach

Iridium says 2nd-generation satellites working flawlessly as financial challenges approach
February 23, 2017
 
The Aireon global flight-tracking service, in which Iridium Communications is a large minority shareholder, owes Iridium $200 million in return for having Aireon ADS-B payloads aboard the Iridium Next satellite constellation.
Aireon has been unable to make the payment. As a consequence, Iridium is negotiating an amendment to its $1.8-billion credit facility, delaying payments to satellite prime contractor Thales Alenia Space and suspending dividend payments on its preferred stock. Iridium says the modifications mean the company has until early 2019 before it will need the Aireon cash.
Credit: Aireon

Key takeaways from Iridium's 4th quarter financial results:
— Co. says SpaceX has promised that the unexpected five-month gap, to June, between the first and second Iridium Next launches won't be repeated as the rocket builder builds a supply of vehicles.
— Iridium paid SpaceX $67.9 million for an eighth launch, to occur in mid-2018, of a final five Iridium Next spacecraft. Two NASA-German science satellite passengers sharing the launch will finance $31.8 million of it.
— Kosmotras of Russia still doesn't have Russian Defense Ministry approval to launch two Iridium satellites on the Russian-Ukrainian Dnepr rocket, for which Iridium has already paid $36.8 million — money that may never be repaid.
— Iridium is close to an agreement with satellite prime contractor Thales Alenia Space to delay some $500 million in payments due in 2017 and 2018 to preserve cash, and with its lenders to relax debt-service cash reserve requirements, to compensate for late-arriving cash from partner Aireon, a start-up aircraft tracking service.
 
PARIS — Mobile satellite services provider Iridium Communications on Feb. 23 said the first of the 10 second-generation satellites launched in January had been placed into service, filling one of two "holes" in the global network.
The second hole will be filed by one of the 10 satellites on the next launch, scheduled for June, which "will bring us back to full strength" in terms of coverage, Iridium Chief Executive Matt Desch said in a conference call with investors.
Eight of the 10 Iridium Next satellites launched in January will be in their respective operating locations by mid-April, each of them swapping places with a first-generation satellite. The older satellites will be removed from service and placed at a lower altitude for eventual de-orbiting.
Here's a video from Iridium about the satellite swap process:
http://bit.ly/2mcm26n
The remaining two satellites are being drifted into an adjacent orbital plane — Iridium's constellation has six plaines, each with 11 operating satellites — and should be in service by the end of 2017, Desch said.
Start-up aircraft tracking service Aireon, which is the principal fee-paying hosted payload on board the Iridium satellites, was expected to take control of the payload before the end of February and had already begun tracking, on a test basis, thousands of aircraft with Aireon's ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, service.
Harris-exactEarth AIS testing starts in March after antenna deployment
Another hosted-payload customer, Harris Corp., who with exactEarth of Canada has a ship-tracking payload on board four of the first 10 satellites, is expected to deploy its VHF antenna from the aft side of the Iridium spacecraft in March to begin testing.
"The testing and deployment of the satellites from Launch 1 is going about as well as anyone could have imagined," Desch said.
Iridium has hired SpaceX to conduct seven 10-satellite launches of the Iridium Next constellation. In November, Iridium purchased an eighth launch, to occur in mid-2018, to carry five Iridium satellites and two scientific satellites for Germany and NASA.
In a Feb. 23 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Iridium said it paid $67.9 million for the launch. A NASA-German payload of two science satellites will share the launch and finance $31.8 million of the cost, Iridium said.
SpaceX's crowded manifest - 6 from Florida before Iridium at Vandenberg
The second SpaceX launch was supposed to occur in April, but SpaceX told Iridium it did not have enough rockets available to keep that date given the company's full manifest of customers. A mid-June launch is now planned, which means Iridium will wait an additional two months before filling the second of two holes in its coverage.
One industry official said SpaceX was juggling a long list of customers who are anxious to launch, and that the company has planned six campaigns from its Florida spaceport before proceeding with the Iridium launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Upcoming launches include the EchoStar 23 commercial telecommunications satellite, a SpaceX Dragon supply freighter supplying the International Space Station under a NASA contract, the SES-10 commercial telecommunications satellite, to be the first launch using a previously used Falcon 9 first stage, the Intelsat 35e commercial telecommunications satellite, and the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-76.
An NRO spokeswoman on Feb. 16 said the satellite's launch date had yet to be determined.
With its second-generation satellites now coming off the Thales Alenia Space-Orbital ATK production line in Arizona at a rate of one a week, and the SpaceX launch manifest beyond its control, Iridium is now focused on financial issues.
Credit facility amendment imminent to relieve near-term pressure
Iridium Chief Financial Officer Thomas J. Fitzpatrick said that in February the company has fully drawn on its principal credit facility, from the French export-credit agency, Coface, in the amount of $1.8 billion, to cover most of the cost of the Thales Alenia Space satellite manufacturing contract, valued at $2.3 billion.
From now on, Iridium will be paying its bills uniquely from its own cash on hand.
Because the Aireon commercial flight tracking service has not yet secured sufficient financing to pay its Iridium hosted-payload bill, Iridium has negotiated a delay in payments to Thales Alenia Space and delayed payment into a debt service repayment account, which had been required by the Coface-led lender group.
Under the amendment, the mandated level of $189 million to be kept in that account would be reduced by about $80 million but would need to be deposited by early 2019.
Iridium will also suspend payments of dividends on its preferred stock.
Aireon has agreed to pay Iridium $200 million to place the Aireon ADS-B flight-tracking payloads on all the Iridium Next satellites.
Fitzpatrick said he was optimistic that Aireon would be able to monetize the commitments it has received from several Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), but that this would not happen immediately. Aireon is especially focused on securing the U.S. ANSP, the Federal Aviation Administration, as a customer.
Iridium had paid Thales Alenia Space $1.75 billion as of Dec. 31, leaving slightly more than $500 million remaining, which was to have been paid in 2017 and 2018.
With the Coface-led loan now fully drawn, Iridium is now funding operations from cash on hand and is scheduled to begin loan repayments by next September.
The agreement with Thales Alenia Space and the creditors "provides the cushion we need to absorb an Aireon delay of payments well into 2018," Fitzpatrick said. "We will need to have collected the Aireon hosting fee by the end of the first quarter of 2019, or made other arrangements, to repay Thales and fund the [debt service repayment account] at that time."
 
Peter B. de Selding

[Salo]

 Iridium Corporate‏Подлинная учетная запись @IridiumComm  2 ч.2 часа назад  
1st #IridiumNEXT active SV106, has achieved handoff @AireonLLC for ADS-B testing. The future of true global air traffic surveillance is near

 
 Aireon @AireonLLC  
It's official! #Aireon has taken full control of our 1st ADS-B payload. Already validating & pushing the limits. http://ow.ly/miFM309ufOI 

[tnt22]

Iridium Corporate‏Подлинная учетная запись @IridiumComm 7 ч. назад
 
SNOC Report: SV109 is now fully integrated into the network replacing legacy SV77 #NEXTevolution

[Salo]

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/03/spacex-falcon-9-echostar-23-slc-40-return/

On the West Coast, three missions have set placeholders for launch from Vandenberg, namely Iridium 2 on June 17, the Formosat-5 mission on July 22 and Iridium-3 on August 24.

[tnt22]

Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss 3 ч. назад

As of today, 4 of the 10 @IridiumNEXT sats from 1st launch are in mission. 3 slot swaps so far - 4 more planned for next week! Drifting 2.

[tnt22]

Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss 33 мин. назад

Announced Iridium NEXT launch #2 date this morning: Thurs, June 29, 1:04pm pdt. Will start sending sats to VAFB soon. T minus 9 weeks!

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/28/iridium-hails-performance-of-new-satellites-targets-four-more-launches-this-year/

Iridium hails performance of new satellites, targets four more launches this year

 April 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

Спойлер

Artist's concept of an Iridium Next satellite in space. Credit: Thales Alenia Space

[свернуть]

Eight of Iridium's first ten upgraded communications satellites launched in January started providing voice and data relay service ahead of schedule, and SpaceX says it can launch up to 40 more Iridium spacecraft by the end of the year, Iridium officials reported Thursday.

Спойлер

"I'm happy to report that our initial batch of Iridium Next satellites are now fully operational and working very well," said Matt Desch, CEO of Virginia-based of Iridium Communications.

Engineers are repositioning the other two new-generation Iridium spacecraft in orbit to replace other satellites, part of a "highly-choreographed process" to complete a refresh of the company's entire constellation by mid-2018, Desch said Thursday in a quarterly earnings call with investment analysts.

The first eight Iridium Next satellites entered service in March and early April, taking the place of aging first-generation spacecraft launched in the late 1990s.

After their deployment from the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the satellites boosted their altitude from a 388-mile-high (625-kilometer) drop-off orbit into the operational constellation at an altitude of 485 miles (780 kilometers) alongside the craft they were intended to replace.

Ground controllers then instantaneously switched off the inter-satellite communications links on the old satellite and turned on the links on the new craft, a procedure Iridium calls a slot swap.

[свернуть]

The Iridium fleet consists of 66 operational satellites distributed in six orbital tracks, with 11 slots in each plane. The remaining two Iridium Next satellites deployed into Plane 6 on Jan. 14 are drifting into a different plane, a movement that will take around 10 months.

Спойлер

"We completed the commissioning of these Iridium Next satellites about one week ahead of schedule, which is a real testament to the planning and preparation of our satellite operations team," Desch said. "What's important is that our experience with in-orbit testing, slot swaps and the new satellite performance gives us confidence that we'll be able to manage the roughly 60-day launch cycle (we're) targeting following the second launch."

[свернуть]

Iridium's next 10 satellites are set for launch June 29 aboard another Falcon 9 booster. Desch said the spacecraft will begin shipping from their factory in Gilbert, Arizona, to the Vandenberg launch base in mid-May for fueling and attachment with the rocket's multi-payload dispenser, which accommodates the 10 satellites inside the Falcon 9 nose cone.

Спойлер

SpaceX and Vandenberg Air Force Base officials have confirmed the June 29 launch target, according to Desch.

The June 29 launch is set for 1:02 p.m. PDT (2002 GMT; 4:02 p.m. EDT), according to Iridium. That is timed to place the next 10 satellites into Plane 3 of the Iridium network.


A Falcon 9 rocket launches Jan. 14 with the first 10 Iridium Next satellites. Credit: SpaceX

[свернуть]

The Iridium Next assembly line in Arizona, managed by Orbital ATK in partnership with satellite-designer Thales Alenia Space, is producing spacecraft at a rate to manufacture all of the Iridium Next satellites by the end of 2017, Desch said.

Спойлер

Thales Alenia Space and Orbital ATK have manufactured more than 40 of the 81 Iridium Next satellites under contract, according to Desch.

Iridium originally planned to launch 70 of the Iridium Next satellites on seven Falcon 9 rockets by the end of 2017, but SpaceX launch delays caused by rocket failures and production bottlenecks have pushed that target to mid-2018.

At the time of the Jan. 14 launch, SpaceX and Iridium aimed to launch the second group of Iridium Next satellites in April. But Iridium announced in February that liftoff of the next batch of Iridium Next platforms would be delayed two more months, citing rocket production issues and a cramped launch manifest at SpaceX.

Desch said Thursday that SpaceX has upped its production and launch tempo.

"With SpaceX increasing cadence on production and launch, they've also provided us launch dates for three more launches in 2017 — in August, October and December." he said. "So we're hoping they stay on track as we're ready to deploy satellites as soon as they can launch them."

Iridium booked an eighth launch with SpaceX earlier this year, a mission that will loft five more Iridium Next satellites, committing the company to launch at least 75 of the 81 new-generation spacecraft on Falcon 9 rockets. The extra launch will take off in early 2018 in tandem with two U.S.-German research satellites to make the best-ever measurements of Earth's gravity field.

The upgraded $3 billion Iridium Next network will offer faster broadband connections, improved functionality and 3G-equivalent cellular phone services for Iridium's pool of nearly 870,000 subscribers, a client list that includes the U.S. military, oil and gas companies, aviation and maritime operators, and mining and construction contractors.

"The satellites' faster processors, larger memory and modern engineering design are delivering better voice quality as well as faster data throughput for our maritime, aviation and IoT (Internet of Things) customers," Desch said. "While our current network is performing amazingly well for its age, the statistics for our newest satellites are even better.

"I can't wait for coming launches and the impact of the additional (Iridium) Next satellites will have on the overall work performance, and that's even before we introduce new services," he said.


Artist's illustration of the Iridium constellation. Credit: Thales Alenia Space

[свернуть]

All of the Iridium Next satellites now entering service also carry piggyback payloads for Aireon, an affiliate of Iridium, to help air traffic controllers track airplane movements worldwide. Four of the Iridium Next satellites launched in January host an antenna to monitor maritime traffic for exactEarth, a Canadian company, and Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Florida.

Спойлер

Tom Fitzpatrick, Iridium's chief financial officer, said Thursday that the company is now earning its first revenue from the new Iridium Next satellites.

"For the first time this quarter, we are realizing revenue from hosting and data services on our first batch of Iridium Next satellites," Fitzpatrick said.

"In Q1, we realized less than $100,000 in revenue from Aireon and Harris Corp. based upon several Iridium Next satellites been put into service during the quarter," Fitzpatrick said. "With eight next generations that now operational, we anticipate the revenue from hosting and data services will continue to ramp with each successful launch and incremental Iridium Next satellites placed into service in 2017."

Aireon took control of the first airspace monitoring payload on an Iridium Next satellite in early March, kicking off tests to verify the orbiting instruments can locate aircraft around the world.

Air traffic authorities in Canada, Ireland, Italy and Denmark are part of the Aireon joint venture with Iridium.

Organizations responsible for managing airspace in France and Spain have signed agreements with Aireon since the January launch to evaluate the airplane tracking service, and the Federal Aviation Administration conducted the first test of the Aireon system using a flying laboratory in March to check its performance for potential use by U.S. air traffic controllers.

"A flight test coordinated with the FAA was the ultimate validation accomplishment for the Aireon system to date and is a textbook example of how a public-private partnership can thrive," said Vinny Capezzuto, chief technology officer and vice president of engineering at Aireon.

[свернуть]

The arrival of new Iridium Next satellites in orbit allows engineers to retire older satellites.

Спойлер

Desch said Iridium decommissioned the first of its now-disused satellites, Space Vehicle No. 4, a few weeks ago. The satellite, which launched on a Delta 2 rocket in November 1997, fired thrusters to lower its orbit below the Iridium fleet, emptied its propellant tanks, depleted its batteries, opened its electrical relays and positioned its solar panels for maximum drag, he said.

The maneuvers ensure most Iridium satellites will re-enter the atmosphere and burn up with a year after completing the decommissioning procedures, according to Desch.

Two more aging Iridium satellites will go through a similar process in the next few weeks, he said.

Some of the healthiest first-generation satellites will be moved to a temporary storage orbit around 12 miles (20 kilometers) below the operational constellation as spares.

"Those legacy satellites lowered to storage orbit will be maintained as contingency measures until all 75 Iridium Next satellites are in service," Desch said. "As a practice, we're keeping the best of the legacy satellites in orbit as either operational satellites or temporary spares, and then we'll de-orbit the rest pretty quickly."

"We will continue this process for all legacy satellites that we aren't using as temporary spares, and will eventually de-orbit all the Block 1 spares after Iridium Next is completed next year," Desch said.

[свернуть]

Skywatchers used to observing Iridium satellites, known for their bright flares around sunrise and sunset, should be sure to catch a glimpse over the next year. The design of the company's refreshment satellites is not expected to produce the flares.

[Salo]

 Peter B. de Selding‏ @pbdes  7 ч.7 часов назад
Clarification on @IridiumComm: 8 of 10 2d-gen sats are in operation; 2 others have been tested & are drifting to final orbits as planned.

[tnt22]

Iridium Corporate‏Подлинная учетная запись @IridiumComm 14 ч. назад

Thrilled to share successful integration of 1st 8 #IridiumNEXT SV's (2 drifting) & 2nd @SpaceX launch date for 6/29! http://bit.ly/2oTI9QM

http://investor.iridium.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1023920

May 2, 2017

PDF

Iridium Announces Successful Completion of First-Launch Iridium NEXT Satellites Activities and Second Launch Date

Next-Generation Satellites are Actively Serving Iridium® Network Customers, While the Company Prepares for the Second Launch

MCLEAN, Va., May 02, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM), the only communications company with 100 percent global coverage, has announced that the first set of Iridium NEXT satellites have been integrated into the operational constellation and are providing excellent service to Iridium customers. Prior to achieving this major program milestone, the new satellites went through a rigorous testing and validation process that demonstrated that they met all performance requirements and even exceeded many. The Iridium NEXT satellites are already providing superior call quality and faster data speeds with increased capacity to Iridium customers. In addition, the Company has announced the targeted launch date for the second payload of ten Iridium NEXT satellites as June 29, 2017, at 1:02pm PDT, with an instantaneous launch window. All planned Iridium NEXT launches will take place from SpaceX's west coast launch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California, on Falcon 9 rockets.

Спойлер

The testing and validation process for the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation involved a thorough test of each of Iridium's services, an assessment of each satellite's performance against established metrics, and a formal acceptance process between Iridium and Thales, thus ensuring a smooth integration into Iridium's existing network architecture. Once completed for each new satellite, a precisely orchestrated process of replacing the original Iridium® satellite with a new Iridium NEXT satellite, known as a 'slot swap' is completed. To date, the team at Iridium's Satellite Network Operations Center (SNOC) has successfully completed three individual slot swaps, and two dual slot swaps. Two of the new satellites are currently drifting to their assigned orbital plane.

"To say that I am proud of the Iridium satellite network operations team is an understatement," said Scott Smith, chief operating officer at Iridium. "Conducting multiple slot swaps to replace a network of this magnitude is an incredible task, and only Iridium has the team and technical capacity to manage this project. We have been preparing for this process for years, and since first launch the team has worked non-stop to manage each maneuver to successfully integrate the new satellites into the active network. We are thrilled to say that these new satellites are exceeding expectations and are already delivering faster speeds to our customers."

The Iridium NEXT satellites are manufactured by Thales Alenia Space, the prime contractor, and assembled at Orbital ATK's facility in Gilbert, Arizona. Thales Alenia Space has been tasked with certifying these next-generation satellite vehicles, all while maintaining a demanding manufacturing timetable to meet Iridium's launch schedule.

"We are deploying the largest satellite constellation in the world, and it works! We met challenges that were unprecedented in the space sector, in terms of end-to-end system performance and production rate," said Bertrand Maureau, executive vice president, telecommunication at Thales Alenia Space. "Seeing the satellites exceed our expectations and be smoothly integrated into the existing network was one of the top highlights in our company's history. Iridium NEXT is an extraordinary story, and we are both proud and greatly moved to have successfully passed this major milestone. In our industry, when things go as planned and even exceed expectations, it's an impressive achievement, and we are very excited to be looking forward to the second launch."

The late-June launch will deliver the second set of ten Iridium NEXT satellites into low-earth orbit, bringing the total count to 20 Iridium NEXT satellites in space. A total of 75 satellites will be launched over eight launches, and are expected to be completed by mid-2018. A network replacement of this size and scale has never been achieved before, and Iridium NEXT has been coined one of the largest "tech refreshes" in history. The new constellation is the first step in delivering Iridium's next-generation portfolio of communications services, called Iridium CertusSM, and will also introduce new revolutionary technologies and services like the AireonSM space-based ADS-B aircraft surveillance and flight tracking network.

To learn more about the process of a satellite "slot swap," visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsxWqRiC7m8. For real-time updates about the Iridium NEXT program, please go to www.IridiumNext.com and follow Iridium on Facebook (Iridium Communications), Twitter (@IridiumComm) and LinkedIn (Iridium).

Спойлер

About Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables connections between people, organizations and assets to and from anywhere, in real time. Together with its ecosystem of partner companies, Iridium delivers an innovative and rich portfolio of reliable solutions for markets that require truly global communications. The company has a major development program underway for its next-generation network — Iridium NEXT. Iridium Communications Inc. is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A., and its common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Sel ect Market under the ticker symbol IRDM. For more information about Iridium products, services and partner solutions, visit www.iridium.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company has based these statements on its current expectations and the information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements in this presentation include statements regarding the timing for deployment, development and capabilities of the Iridium NEXT constellation and services to be offered over the constellation. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "anticipates," "may," "can," "believes," "expects," "projects," "intends," "likely," "will," "to be" and other expressions that are predictions or indicate future events, trends or prospects. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Iridium to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding potential delays in the Iridium NEXT deployment, the development and functionality of Iridium NEXT and related services, and the company's ability to maintain the health, capacity and content of its current satellite constellation, as well as general industry and economic conditions, and competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include those factors listed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC" ) on February 23, 2017, as well as other filings Iridium makes with the SEC from time to time. There is no assurance that Iridium's expectations will be realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Iridium's underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially fr om those expected, estimated or projected. Iridium's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Iridium undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements.

[свернуть]

Press Contact:
Jordan Hassin
Iridium Communications Inc.
+1 202-232-6601
Jordan.Hassin@Iridium.com
Twitter: @IridiumComm

Investor Contact:
Kenneth Levy
Iridium Communications Inc.
+1 (703) 287-7570
Ken.Levy@Iridium.com
Twitter: @IridiumIR

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

Christian Daniels‏ @CJDaniels77 5 ч назад

Any idea when the rocket and your space birds will be arriving in Vandenberg? 2/2

Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss

Start shipping satellites this weekend; rocket stages show up next week...

[Apollo13]

https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/6brdfb/first_stage_spotted_westbound/

Предположительно ступень 1036 поехала из Макгрегора в Ванденберг.

[Apollo13]

Ее история

4/23/2017      At Hawthorne as of April 23, 2017. Sitting on the production floor.
5/2/2017      En-route to McGregor, TX as of May 2, 2017. Spotted in Marana, AZ. 
5/17/2017      En route to Vandenberg as of May 17, 2017. Spotted heading westbound on I-10 in AZ

[tnt22]

Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss 2 мин. назад

First two Iridium NEXT sats are on the road to VAFB for Launch #2! Tracking, of course, by Iridium M2M/IoT. F9 Stage 1 there now too

[tnt22]

Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss 3 мин. назад

And here are the those first two Iridium NEXT satellites for Launch 2 arriving at VAFB. I'm hoping visibility is much better on June 29th!