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← 1997

1997 · Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center

Iridium 27 to 33

successProton-K/17S40 | Iridium 27 to 33

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.

Overview

Date / time
September 14, 1997 at 01:36 AM UTC
Outcome
success
Launch site
81/23 (81L)
Mission
Iridium 27 to 33
Mission type
Communications
Orbit achieved
Low Earth Orbit
Launch vehicle
Proton-K/17S40 →
Launch provider
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center →

Payloads deployed · 7

IRIDIUM 27
Iridium · LEO
IRIDIUM 28
Iridium · LEO
IRIDIUM 29
Iridium · LEO
IRIDIUM 30
Iridium · LEO
IRIDIUM 31
Iridium · LEO
IRIDIUM 32
Iridium · LEO
IRIDIUM 33
Iridium · LEO