Iridium Next Flight 1 (x10) - Falcon 9-030 - Vandenberg SLC-4E - 14.01.2017 17:54 UTC

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Thales Alenia Space ‏@Thales_Alenia_S  2 ч.2 часа назад
After receiving a 1st signal on Jan. 31, the check-out of the inter-satellite link between 2 #IridiumNEXT satellites is now fully confirmed
 

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Matt Desch ‏@IridiumBoss  7 ч.7 часов назад
Beginning ascent today of the first NEXT satellite (SV106) to its slot in our 780km mission orbit. Earlier than expected - great progress!
 

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Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss 3 ч. назад

As of today, 4 of the 10 @IridiumNEXT sats from 1st launch are in mission. 3 slot swaps so far - 4 more planned for next week! Drifting 2.

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Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss 32 мин. назад

As of 10am edt, all 8 Iridium NEXT sats are happily in mission! SV105/SV108 start their drifts to Plane 5 Sunday. Batch 2 processing soon!

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/28/iridium-hails-performance-of-new-satellites-targets-four-more-launches-this-year/

Iridium hails performance of new satellites, targets four more launches this year

 April 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

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Artist's concept of an Iridium Next satellite in space. Credit: Thales Alenia Space

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Eight of Iridium's first ten upgraded communications satellites launched in January started providing voice and data relay service ahead of schedule, and SpaceX says it can launch up to 40 more Iridium spacecraft by the end of the year, Iridium officials reported Thursday.

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"I'm happy to report that our initial batch of Iridium Next satellites are now fully operational and working very well," said Matt Desch, CEO of Virginia-based of Iridium Communications.

Engineers are repositioning the other two new-generation Iridium spacecraft in orbit to replace other satellites, part of a "highly-choreographed process" to complete a refresh of the company's entire constellation by mid-2018, Desch said Thursday in a quarterly earnings call with investment analysts.

The first eight Iridium Next satellites entered service in March and early April, taking the place of aging first-generation spacecraft launched in the late 1990s.

After their deployment from the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the satellites boosted their altitude from a 388-mile-high (625-kilometer) drop-off orbit into the operational constellation at an altitude of 485 miles (780 kilometers) alongside the craft they were intended to replace.

Ground controllers then instantaneously switched off the inter-satellite communications links on the old satellite and turned on the links on the new craft, a procedure Iridium calls a slot swap.

The Iridium fleet consists of 66 operational satellites distributed in six orbital tracks, with 11 slots in each plane. The remaining two Iridium Next satellites deployed into Plane 6 on Jan. 14 are drifting into a different plane, a movement that will take around 10 months.

"We completed the commissioning of these Iridium Next satellites about one week ahead of schedule, which is a real testament to the planning and preparation of our satellite operations team," Desch said. "What's important is that our experience with in-orbit testing, slot swaps and the new satellite performance gives us confidence that we'll be able to manage the roughly 60-day launch cycle (we're) targeting following the second launch."

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Iridium Corporate‏Подлинная учетная запись @IridiumComm 14 ч. назад

Thrilled to share successful integration of 1st 8 #IridiumNEXT SV's (2 drifting) & 2nd @SpaceX launch date for 6/29! http://bit.ly/2oTI9QM

http://investor.iridium.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1023920

May 2, 2017

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Iridium Announces Successful Completion of First-Launch Iridium NEXT Satellites Activities and Second Launch Date

Next-Generation Satellites are Actively Serving Iridium® Network Customers, While the Company Prepares for the Second Launch

MCLEAN, Va., May 02, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM), the only communications company with 100 percent global coverage, has announced that the first set of Iridium NEXT satellites have been integrated into the operational constellation and are providing excellent service to Iridium customers. Prior to achieving this major program milestone, the new satellites went through a rigorous testing and validation process that demonstrated that they met all performance requirements and even exceeded many. The Iridium NEXT satellites are already providing superior call quality and faster data speeds with increased capacity to Iridium customers.  ...

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The testing and validation process for the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation involved a thorough test of each of Iridium's services, an assessment of each satellite's performance against established metrics, and a formal acceptance process between Iridium and Thales, thus ensuring a smooth integration into Iridium's existing network architecture. Once completed for each new satellite, a precisely orchestrated process of replacing the original Iridium® satellite with a new Iridium NEXT satellite, known as a 'slot swap' is completed. To date, the team at Iridium's Satellite Network Operations Center (SNOC) has successfully completed three individual slot swaps, and two dual slot swaps. Two of the new satellites are currently drifting to their assigned orbital plane.

"To say that I am proud of the Iridium satellite network operations team is an understatement," said Scott Smith, chief operating officer at Iridium. "Conducting multiple slot swaps to replace a network of this magnitude is an incredible task, and only Iridium has the team and technical capacity to manage this project. We have been preparing for this process for years, and since first launch the team has worked non-stop to manage each maneuver to successfully integrate the new satellites into the active network. We are thrilled to say that these new satellites are exceeding expectations and are already delivering faster speeds to our customers."

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To learn more about the process of a satellite "slot swap," visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsxWqRiC7m8.  For real-time updates about the Iridium NEXT program, please go to www.IridiumNext.com and follow Iridium on Facebook (Iridium Communications), Twitter (@IridiumComm) and LinkedIn (Iridium).

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Press Contact:
Jordan Hassin
Iridium Communications Inc.
+1 202-232-6601
Jordan.Hassin@Iridium.com
Twitter: @IridiumComm

Investor Contact:
Kenneth Levy
Iridium Communications Inc.
+1 (703) 287-7570
Ken.Levy@Iridium.com
Twitter: @IridiumIR

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Thales Alenia Space‏ @Thales_Alenia_S 14 июн.

First 10 #Iridium #NEXT satellites, built by @Thales_Alenia_S , now validated in orbit http://thls.co/m9qu30czV0f @IridiumComm

https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press-release/first-ten-satellites-iridium-next-constellation-built-thales-alenia

First ten satellites in the Iridium NEXT constellation, built by Thales Alenia Space, now validated in orbit

| 14.06.2017 |

Second batch of satellites ready for a launch scheduled on June 25

Cannes, June 14, 2017 - Following the launch of the first ten Iridium NEXT satellites in January 2017, their commissioning has proceeded very smoothly, as they passed all in-orbit tests with flying colors.

These satellites are now interconnected, and are operating in full compatibility with the initial Block One constellation.

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"The challenge for Thales Alenia Space was not just to deliver the satellites, but above all to commission the entire turnkey system and make sure that the two generations of satellites were fully compatible," said Bertrand Maureau, Executive Vice President, Telecommunication at Thales Alenia Space. "Our success in this operation clearly confirms our skills and expertise as a leading prime contractor for complex telecommunications systems."

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