This page no longer updated from 31 October 2001. Latest version can be found at www.astronautix.com
 |
| Iridium - Credit: Lockheed-Martin. 9,397 bytes. 321 x 152 pixels. |
|
Class: Communications. Nation: United States. Agency: Iridium Corp. (Motorola commercial venture). Manufacturer: Motorola, Lockheed-Martin. The LM 700 had its first use in the Iridium system, a commercial communications network comprised of 66 LEO spacecraft. The system used L-Band to provide global communications services through portable handsets. A total of 125 spacecraft were to be built by Lockheed for more than $700M. The spacecraft itself is three-axis stabilised with a hydrazine propulsion system. Two solar panels with 1-axis articulation. The system employs L-Band using FDMA/ TDMA to provide voice at 4.8 kbps and data at 2400 bps with 16 dB margin. Each satellite has 48 spot beams for Earth coverage and uses Ka-Band for crosslinks and ground commanding.
SpecificationDesign Life: 8 years. Total Length: 4.0 m. Maximum Diameter: 1.3 m. Total Mass: 689 kg.
LM 700 Chronology
05 May 1997
Iridium 5 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 775 km. Apogee: 779 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 4. Ascending node 262.5 degrees.
18 June 1997
Iridium 14 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / DM2. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 776 km. Apogee: 778 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 5. Ascending node 294.2 degrees. Not in service.
09 July 1997
Iridium 20 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 768 km. Apogee: 784 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 6. Ascending node 325.7 degrees. Failed.
21 August 1997
Iridium 23 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 776 km. Apogee: 779 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 2. Ascending node 199.4 degrees.
01 September 1997
Iridium Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Taiyuan . Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C/SD. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 620 km. Apogee: 634 km. Inclination: 86.3 deg. Plane 5. Ascending node 272 degrees. Dummy satellite.
14 September 1997
Iridium 28 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / DM2. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 776 km. Apogee: 779 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 3. Ascending node 230.9 degrees.
27 September 1997
Iridium 19 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 775 km. Apogee: 779 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 4. Ascending node 262.4 degrees.
09 November 1997
Iridium 41 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 775 km. Apogee: 779 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 6. Ascending node 325.8 degrees.
08 December 1997
Iridium 44 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Taiyuan . Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C/SD. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 774 km. Apogee: 780 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 6. Ascending node 325.8 degrees. Not in service.
20 December 1997
Iridium 45 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 776 km. Apogee: 779 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 2. Ascending node 199.4 degrees.
18 February 1998
Iridium 56 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 774 km. Apogee: 780 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 5. Ascending node 294 degrees.
25 March 1998
Iridium 61 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Taiyuan . Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C/SD. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 774 km. Apogee: 780 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 4. Ascending node 262.5 degrees.
30 March 1998
Iridium 55 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 775 km. Apogee: 780 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 3. Ascending node 230.9 degrees.
07 April 1998
Iridium 62 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / DM2. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 776 km. Apogee: 778 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 1. Ascending node 167.9 degrees.
02 May 1998
Iridium 69 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Taiyuan . Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C/SD. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 777 km. Apogee: 783 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 2. Ascending node 199.4 degrees. Not in service.
17 May 1998
Iridium 72 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 776 km. Apogee: 779 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 1. Ascending node 167.8 degrees.
19 August 1998
Iridium 76 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Taiyuan . Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C/SD. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 775 km. Apogee: 779 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 2. Ascending node 199.4 degrees.
08 September 1998
Iridium 81 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 775 km. Apogee: 779 km. Inclination: 86.4 deg. Plane 6. Ascending node 325.7 degrees.
06 November 1998
Iridium 85 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 512 km. Apogee: 536 km. Inclination: 86.0 deg. Plane 5. Ascending node 291.1 degrees. Parking orbit.
19 December 1998
Iridium 11 Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Taiyuan . Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C/SD. Mass: 689 kg. Perigee: 623 km. Apogee: 656 km. Inclination: 86.3 deg. Plane 2. Ascending node 197 degrees. Parking orbit.
11 June 1999
Iridium 14A Program: Iridium. Launch Site: Taiyuan . Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C/SD. Perigee: 703 km. Apogee: 714 km. Inclination: 86.5 deg.
Bibliography:- 6 - JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html
Back to Index
Last update 12 March 2001.
Contact Mark Wade with any corrections or comments.
Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
© Mark Wade, 2001 .