Iridium Communications plans to launch on May 19 the Iridium-6 rideshare mission aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Falcon 9 will send into orbit five Iridium NEXT satellites and two satellites as part of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On mission of NASA and GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, Iridium said Monday. […] More

Iridium Communications‘ fifth set of NEXT satellites that launched Friday includes Aireon-built global air traffic surveillance technology payloads. Aireon said Friday its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system is designed to provide aircraft tracking coverage with a 15-minute update interval and help airlines test aircraft tracking systems via space-based ADS-B. The International Civil Aviation Organization and European Aviation Safety […] More

A fifth batch of 10 Iridium Communications satellites entered testing and validation phase shortly after the latest set in the company’s NEXT constellation launched into space. Friday’s launch increased the number of NEXT satellites in orbit to 50 and marked the second use of SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 first-stage booster, Iridium said Tuesday. “I’m beyond proud of our team at the Satellite […] More

A SpaceX-made spacecraft took off Monday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to bring more than 5,800 pounds of crew supplies and research investigations to the International Space Station. NASA said Tuesday the Dragon spacecraft’s launch marks the 14th ISS cargo delivery mission under the Commercial Resupply Services contract. Dragon is […] More

Iridium Communications has started the testing and validation phase for the fourth batch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites that launched Friday aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Scott Smith, chief operating officer at Iridium, said in a statement published Wednesday the company’s team at the satellite network operations center started to conduct initial diagnostics minutes after the […] More

SpaceX has delayed the scheduled first test launch of its Falcon Heavy rocket from December to January, Spaceflight Now reported Tuesday. The company expects to field the rocket to its launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for the static fire test of the space vehicle’s 27 Merlin 1D engines in December. […] More

Iridium Communications plans to launch the third batch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites on Sept. 30 aboard a SpaceX-built Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The scheduled launch would bring the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in space to 30 as part of a potential $3 billion program to replace an existing constellation with 75 new communications satellites […] More

Four Harris-built maritime vessel tracking receivers have begun to track nearly 250,000 ships around the world as part of hosted payloads onboard Iridium‘s NEXT satellites that were launched in January. Harris said Monday the receivers are designed to offer global automatic identification system information and ship tracking capacity for government and commercial users. Iridium’s NEXT satellite constellation is scheduled to reach full […] More

SpaceX has moved the launch of the first batch of satellites for Iridium Communications’ NEXT constellation from mid-December to early January as the Elon Musk-owned company works to complete the investigation into the Sept. 1 explosion of its Falcon 9 rocket, Space.com reported Wednesday. Mike Wall writes Musk had previously announced plans to resume flights […] More

The International Maritime Organization has issued a report that details requirements for Iridium Communications to address in order for the company to be recognized as a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System mobile satellite services provider. IMO’s navigation, communication and search-and-rescue subcommittee released the report after it evaluated Iridium as a potential GMDSS service provider, Iridium […] More