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<\/p>\nThe latest set of Iridium NEXT satellites have arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in preparation for the Iridium NEXT-5 launch at the end of this month. They will be launched on a Falcon 9 booster that is familiar with the mission requirements, having previously launched the Iridium NEXT-3 mission.<\/p>\n
Iridium provides global mobile satellite communications through a fleet of satellites in low Earth orbit.<\/p>\n
The Iridium-NEXT satellites, which are built by a partnership of Thales Alenia Space and Orbital ATK, are replacing and modernizing Iridium\u2019s fleet.<\/p>\n
Each satellite \u2013 based on Thales\u2019 Extended Lifetime Bus 1000, or ELiTeBus-1000, platform \u2013 has a mass of 860 kilograms (1,900 lb), and carries L- and Ka-band communications payloads.<\/p>\n
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Iridium-NEXT satellites \u2013 Credit Iridium<\/p>\n
The first ten spacecraft were launched in January, with subsequent launches in June, October and December, bringing the total number of new-generation satellites on orbit up to 40.<\/p>\n
The current campaign calls for the launch of seventy-five satellites aboard eight Falcon 9 rockets, with Iridium NEXT-5 set to loft the next 10 spacecraft.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Those satellites have now arrived and are in processing at SpaceX\u2019s west coast launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, according to an Iridium statement on Monday.<\/p>\n
The operational Iridium constellation will be comprised of 66 interconnected satellites, divided into six polar orbiting planes with 11 satellites in each plane. The larger launch total takes into account nine additional in-orbit spares with one or two in each plane.<\/p>\n
Technology News (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n Destined for Iridium orbital plane one, all 10 of the Iridium NEXT satellites deployed during this launch will immediately go into service following rigorous testing and validation.<\/p>\n \u201cNow that we are more than halfway deployed, we can really focus on the impact our next-generation of services will make on the industry,\u201d said Iridium CEO, Matt Desch in Monday\u2019s update.<\/p>\n Iridium CEO Matt Desch on an Iridium handset \u2013 Photo from Jay L. DeShetler\u200f for NSF\/L2<\/p>\n \u201cTesting of our exciting new L-band broadband service, Iridium CertusSM, has been performing well, and with every successful launch, we are closer to bringing our full suite of Iridium NEXT solutions to life. \u201d<\/p>\n The launch will involve the second Iridium mission to use a \u201cflight-proven\u201d SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.<\/p>\n Iridium NEXT-4 successfully utilized Falcon 9 booster 1036.2 during the December launch from Vandenberg, a launch that captured the imagination of the Californian public as the ride uphill provided a stunning light show over parts of the State.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/NSF_20171222_130341.jpg\")
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