Communications
IRIDIUM 109
Global Mobile Satellite Network (Iridium NEXT) · Iridium Communications
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One of the Iridium NEXT satellites, built by Thales Alenia Space and Northrop Grumman to replace the aging original Iridium constellation launched in the 1990s. Iridium was infamous in the space industry as a $5 billion commercial venture that went bankrupt within a year of launching in 1999 — before finding new life as essential infrastructure for maritime, aviation, military, and polar research communications.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 485–487 mi (780–783 km)
- Inclination
- 86.4°
- One orbit
- 100.3 minutes14.4 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 41919
- Int’l designator
- 2017-003C
- Launched
- 2017
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
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