June 18, 1997 2:02 pm

Iridium 09 to 14 & Iridium 16

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Proton-K/17S40

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
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June 18, 1997 2:02 pm

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2026-07-12 12:31:54

Iridium provides global mobile telecommunications services using a constellation of 66 low earth orbit satellites in a 86.4° inclined orbit. Although 77 satellites were originally envisioned for the system and spawned the name based on the 77th element in the periodic table, the system has been scaled back. Motorola’s Satellite Communications Group designed and manufactured the Iridium satellites with Lockheed Martin providing the LM-700A spacecraft buses.
Launch Overview
Window Open 14:02 UTC
Window Close 14:02 UTC
Lift Off Jun 18, 1997 · 14:02 UTC
Launch Facility Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Launch Pad 81/23 (81L)
Target Orbit Low Earth Orbit
Payload Overview
Customer Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Payload Iridium 09 to 14 & Iridium 16
Rocket Proton-K/17S40
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Recovery Overview
Landing Location See Mission Notes
Landing Type RTLS / Droneship
Iridium provides global mobile telecommunications services using a constellation of 66 low earth orbit satellites in a 86.4° inclined orbit. Although 77 satellites were originally envisioned for the system and spawned the name based on the 77th element in the periodic table, the system has been scaled back. Motorola’s Satellite Communications Group designed and manufactured the Iridium satellites with Lockheed Martin providing the LM-700A spacecraft buses.

Height

LEO Payload

Total Launches

Status

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
81/23 (81L)
Launch Overview
Window Open 14:02 UTC
Window Close 14:02 UTC
Lift Off Jun 18, 1997 · 14:02 UTC
Launch Facility Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Launch Pad 81/23 (81L)
Target Orbit Low Earth Orbit
Payload Overview
Customer Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Payload Iridium 09 to 14 & Iridium 16
Rocket Proton-K/17S40
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Recovery Overview
Landing Location See Mission Notes
Landing Type RTLS / Droneship

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