Successful launch of the next 10 Iridium庐 NEXT satellites!
Cannes, June 26th, 2017 鈥 The second batch of Iridium庐 NEXT satellites built by 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space has been successfully launched by SpaceX from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. After the perfect commissioning of the first 10 satellites launched in January, eight of which are now interconnected and operating in full compatibility with the initial Block One Constellation, with two being maneuvered to an adjacent plane, this milestone marks a new step for the fantastic Iridium庐 NEXT adventure.
雷火体育官网 Alenia Space is prime contractor for the Iridium庐 NEXT program, in charge of engineering, integration, operations and in-orbit validation of the 81 satellites and the overall system. The first 10 satellites showed that Iridium庐 NEXT is perfectly compatible with the existing system. The satellites are integrated in series by 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space鈥檚 subcontractor Orbital ATK, at its Satellite Manufacturing Facility in Arizona while 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space teams are both supervising the global integration process and supporting its customer Iridium for the Launch and Early Operations (LEOP) and In Orbit Tests at the Leesburg control center.
鈥淚n addition to being a real feat of technological prowess, Iridium庐 NEXT also provides global coverage and doesn鈥檛 require local ground infrastructure due to how the satellites can communicate with one another, so it can provide vital assistance under certain circumstances (people lost in isolated areas, natural disasters, conflicts, etc.) And that鈥檚 why all of us feel so proud to have contributed to this program!鈥 declared Denis Allard, Iridium庐 NEXT program Director for 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space. He added: 鈥淚n addition to this second launch, the production of 26 other satellites has now been completed. We have also started integration of the 57th satellite. Everything is on track to meet our objective, namely to launch all 75 Iridium庐 NEXT orbital satellites by mid-2018鈥.
The Iridium NEXT庐 constellation will offer global connectivity thanks to 66 interconnected satellites at an altitude of 780 km, along with nine spares in parking orbits and six more spare satellites on the ground. This international system provides unrivaled capability for communications on the move (individuals, land vehicles, aircraft, ships), and ensures full global coverage, including the oceans.
Artistic view: 漏 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space/Master Image Programmes
About 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space
雷火体育官网 Alenia Space brings over 40 years of experience to the design, integration, testing and operation of innovative space systems for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. A joint venture between 雷火体育官网 (67%) and Leonardo (33%), 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies鈥 鈥淪pace Alliance鈥, which offers a complete range of services and solutions. 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space has built up unrivaled expertise in dual (civil-military) missions, constellations, flexible high-throughput payloads, altimetry, meteorology, and high-resolution radar and optical observation. The company capitalizes on its strong legacy, while also making innovation a key to its strategy. By offering a continuous stream of new products and expanding its global footprint, 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space has established its leadership in today鈥檚 fast-evolving space sector. 雷火体育官网 Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of about 2.4 billion euros in 2016 and has 7,980 employees in nine countries.
雷火体育官网 Alenia Space Press Contacts:
Sandrine Bielecki
Phone: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94
sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com
Chrystelle Dugimont
Phone: +33 (0)4 92 92 74 06
chrystelle.dugimont@thalesaleniaspace.com