LAUNCH CENTER

Success

Wed Jun 18 1997

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center

Iridium 09 to 14 & Iridium 16

Launch Successful

LAUNCH TIME

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RECOVERY OVERVIEW

Location

No Recovery Specified

Type

No Recovery Specified

Rocket Details

Name:

Proton-K/17S40

Description:

The Proton-K was a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

MISSION OVERVIEW

Type: Communications
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.

COMPLEX OVERVIEW

Location

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Pad

81/23 (81L)