Categories: Satellites

Delta Rocket Increases Iridium Constellation

A Boeing Delta II rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California today carrying a cargo of five spare satellites for the Iridium communications network. These additional five satellites join the 66 operational satellites and seven spares already in low-earth orbit. The US government is the primary customer for Iridium, and its 2-year, $72 million contract staved off bankruptcy for the troubled company.

Fraser Cain

Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today. He's also the co-host of Astronomy Cast with Dr. Pamela Gay. Here's a link to my Mastodon account.

Recent Posts

New Study Examines Cosmic Expansion, Leading to a New Drake Equation

In 1960, in preparation for the first SETI conference, Cornell astronomer Frank Drake formulated an…

42 minutes ago

Pentagon’s Latest UFO Report Identifies Hotspots for Sightings

The Pentagon office in charge of fielding UFO reports says that it has resolved 118…

1 hour ago

A New Way to Detect Daisy Worlds

The Daisy World model describes a hypothetical planet that self-regulates, maintaining a delicate balance involving…

2 hours ago

Two Supermassive Black Holes on the Verge of a Merger

Researchers have been keeping an eye on the center of a galaxy located about a…

4 hours ago

Interferometry Will Be the Key to Resolving Exoplanets

When it comes to telescopes, bigger really is better. A larger telescope brings with it…

6 hours ago

A New Mission To Pluto Could Answer the Questions Raised by New Horizons

Pluto may have been downgraded from full-planet status, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hold…

7 hours ago