6th June 2017
Iridium Communications has announced the second launch for the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation has been brought forward, and is now targeted for June 25, 2017 at 1:24:59 PDT with an instantaneous launch window.
SpaceX informed Iridium that range availability had opened up at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California, where SpaceX's west coast launch facility is located, and planned to target Iridium's launch four days earlier than originally scheduled. This launch will deliver the second payload of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites to orbit, bringing the total to 20 Iridium NEXT satellites in space.
Matt Desch, CEO at Iridium, said:
"We're excited for this next launch. Satellites have already started to arrive at the launch site and are undergoing pre-launch preparations, so we'll be ready to go. An earlier launch date is all the better for our constellation deployment plans."
Iridium has partnered with SpaceX for a series of eight launches scheduled to take place through mid-2018, delivering a total of 75 satellites to low-Earth orbit. Iridium NEXT is replacing the Company's existing constellation of satellites with more powerful capabilities, including Aireon's space-based global real-time aircraft surveillance and tracking service.
For more information and up-to-date information about Iridium NEXT, please visit www.IridiumNEXT.com
Update: 6th June 2017
All 10 Iridium NEXT satellites have arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California and are being processed for the second launch. Scheduled for June 25th at 1:25 pm PDT (20:25 UTC), this launch begins an ambitious deployment cadence for the additional six SpaceX launches of Iridium NEXT satellites.
“First launch testing and validation activities went smoothly, so I have every confidence that our team will more than meet the challenge ahead,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. “We’re looking at a spectacular pace of new satellites entering service, that nobody has done since Iridium, the first time around.”
The June 25th launch is the second of eight launches for the Iridium NEXT program. Under the lead of Thales Alenia Space (Iridium NEXT System Prime Contractor), the satellites were shipped in pairs from the Orbital ATK Satellite Manufacturing Facility in Gilbert, Arizona. The satellites were transported in specially designed motion and temperature-controlled shipping containers. Upon arrival, each satellite began prelaunch processing which will continue up until launch day. This includes mating them to the dispensers, fueling and encapsulation within the payload fairing. Simultaneously, SpaceX is processing the first and second stages for static fire and launch. All components are on-site and on schedule at this time for launch.
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