Iridium

Author(s): Thomas Guilpain DaveBowman2001

Release date:

Last updated:

Iridium is a series of satellites in sun-synchronous orbit that provide mobile communications around the globe. Between 1997 and 2019, a total of 172 satellites were flown in 31 launches. As of 2022, only the last 75 Iridium satellites of the NEXT generation are still operational to this day

Iridium Satellite Constellation
(1997-2019)
Mission Launch No. of Satellites
First generation, 1997-2002
Iridium MS-1 1997-May-55
Iridium MS-2 1997-Jun-187
Iridium MS-3 1997-Jul-95
Iridium MS-4 1997-Aug-215
Iridium MFS-5 1997-Sept-12
Dummy mass simulators on a test launch
Iridium MS-6 1997-Sept-147
Iridium MS-7 1997-Sept-275
Iridium MS-8 1997-Nov-95
Iridium MS-9 1997-Dec-82
Iridium MS-10 1997-Dec-205
Iridium MS-11 1998-Feb-185
Iridium MS-12 1998-Mar-252
Iridium MS-13 1998-Mar-305
Iridium MS-14 1998-Apr-77
Iridium MS-15 1998-May-22
Iridium MS-16 1998-May-175
Iridium MS-17 1998-Aug-192
Iridium MS-18 1998-Sept-85
Iridium MS-19 1998-Nov-65
Iridium MS-20 1998-Dec-192
Iridium MS-21 1999-Jun-112
Iridium MS-22 2002-Feb-115
Iridium MS-23 2002-Jun-202
Second generation, 2017-2019
Iridium NEXT-1 2017-Jan-1410
Iridium NEXT-1 2017-Jan-1410
Iridium NEXT-2 2017-Jun-2510
Iridium NEXT-3 2017-Oct-910
Iridium NEXT-4 2017-Dec-2310
Iridium NEXT-5 2018-Mar-3010
Iridium NEXT-6 2018-May-225
Launched with the GRACE-FO satellites
Iridium NEXT-7 2018-Jul-2510
Iridium NEXT-8 2019-Jan-1110
Timeline of every Iridium launch since 1997

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