Editing Iridium Communications (section)

== Iridium satellite constellation ==
{{Main|Iridium satellite constellation}}
The Iridium system requires 66 active satellites in [[low Earth orbit]] to complete its constellation and 9 spare satellites are kept in-orbit to serve in case of failure.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Dwyer |first=Rob |date=2022-09-08 |title=Iridium to launch ground spare satellites to supplement network |url=https://smartmaritimenetwork.com/2022/09/08/iridium-to-launch-ground-spare-satellites-to-supplement-satellite-network/ |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=Smart Maritime Network |language=en-GB}}</ref> The satellites are in six [[polar orbit]]al planes at a height of approximately {{convert|485|mi|km|-1}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iridium Communications Network and Satellite Coverage |url=https://www.roadpost.com/iridium-satellite-network |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=Roadpost USA |language=en}}</ref> Satellites communicate with neighboring satellites via [[Ka band]] [[Inter-Satellite Links|intersatellite links]] to relay communications to and from [[ground station]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mathison |first=Mike |date=2016-09-14 |title=Iridium's Ground Infrastructure |url=https://apollosat.com/iridium-networks-ground-infrastructure/ |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=Apollo Satellite |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110064553/https://apollosat.com/iridium-networks-ground-infrastructure/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The original constellation was launched in the late 1990s before the company went through bankruptcy. In January 2017, Iridium began to launch its next-generation satellites through its $3 billion launch campaign, [[Iridium NEXT]]. The new satellites were sent into space on SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicles from [[Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4]] in California over the course of eight launches between January 2017 and January 2019.<ref name="Iridium">{{cite news
 |url         = http://www.hobbyspace.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=21434
 |title       = SpaceX offers a "great deal"
 |date        = 2010-06-17
 |work        = RLV and Space Transport News
 |access-date  = 2010-06-20
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110615173129/http://www.hobbyspace.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=21434
 |archive-date = 2011-06-15
}}</ref><ref>Pasztor, Andy, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/aging-iridium-network-waits-for-key-satellite-replacements-1471961801 "Aging Iridium Network Waits for Key Satellite Replacements"], ''Wall Street Journal'', August 23, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-23.</ref> On January 14, 2017, SpaceX launched 10 of the new Iridium satellites into orbit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/14/spacex-successfully-returns-to-launch-with-iridium-1-next-falcon-9-mission/|title=SpaceX successfully returns to launch with Iridium-1 NEXT Falcon 9 mission|last=Etherington|first=Darrell|website=TechCrunch|date=14 January 2017 |access-date=2017-01-15}}</ref> The second launch of [[Iridium NEXT]] satellites took place on June 25, 2017 on a [[SpaceX]] [[Falcon 9|Falcon 9 rocket]] out of [[Vandenberg Space Force Base]]. This was the second of eight scheduled launches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/25/spacex-is-critical-to-iridiums-future-says-ceo-matt-desch.html/|title=SpaceX is 'critical' to Iridium's future, says CEO Matt Desch|last=Sheetz|first=Michael|website=CNBC|access-date=2017-06-29|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626030410/http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/25/spacex-is-critical-to-iridiums-future-says-ceo-matt-desch.html|archive-date=2017-06-26|date=2017-06-25}}</ref> The third launch of 10 NEXT satellites took place on October 9, 2017. On December 22, 2017, ten additional satellites were deployed after a successful launch on a SpaceX [[Falcon 9|Falcon 9 rocket]]. On May 22, SpaceX successfully launched an additional five [[Iridium NEXT]] satellites from [[Vandenberg Space Force Base]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacex.com/news/2018/05/22/iridium-6grace-fo-mission|title=Iridium-6/GRACE-FO Mission|last=VWilson|date=22 May 2018|access-date=24 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524151807/http://www.spacex.com/news/2018/05/22/iridium-6grace-fo-mission|archive-date=24 May 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On January 11, 2019, the final ten satellites were placed in orbit by [[SpaceX]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacex-launches-falcon9-rocket-iridium-next-satellites-live-stream-today-2019-01-11/|title=SpaceX launches Falcon 9 with final set of 10 Iridium network satellites|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=11 January 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-14}}</ref>