Iridium plans launch at Vandenberg AFB

KSBY ^ | 01/04/2019

[BenLurkin]

The launch is currently targeted for 7:48 a.m. on Tuesday, January 8.

The launch was originally scheduled for December 30, but it was pushed back because of a delay involving another SpaceX launch.

The launch will complete Iridium’s mission of replacing its entire network of communication satellites with 75 new satellites.

[catnipman]

for anyone who cares, there’s a great book, “Eccentric Orbits”, about the rise, near demise, and miraculous resurrection of the original Iridium constellation(which btw, was based on Reagan’s “star wars” technology, which was much maligned at the time by the lying leftist fake stream enemedia):

https://www.amazon.com/Eccentric-Orbits-Iridium-John-Bloom/dp/0802126782

[Yo-Yo]

for anyone who cares, there’s a great book, “Eccentric Orbits”, about the rise, near demise, and miraculous resurrection of the original Iridium constellation

Nothing miraculous about it. The R&D and initial launches were made using venture capital, then Iridium declared bankrupcy and wiped out all of their debt.

A new company bought up the assets for pennies on the dollar, and secured government contracts to provide sat phone service to the military during Gulf War II.

[Moonman62]

The current CEO of Iridium has said they wouldn’t have been able to complete this new constellation without the lower launch costs of SpaceX.

[Moonman62]

SpaceX fans are so enamored with the Star Hopper being built in Texas, and the test of the SpaceX crewed vehicle that they’ve totally forgotten about this Iridium launch.

[Squantos]

Thanks .....

[cpdiii]

I can not find any specs on the Star Hopper of Spacex.

Anyone have a link to such?

[Moonman62]

What do you want to know?

It’s a bit shorter than the production model but the same width. It will have three engines, but the ones on it now are placeholders. Flights are planned between 500 and 5000 meters. First flight in about 8 weeks.

You can go through some of the posts here and find out more:

https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/

[catnipman]

“Nothing miraculous about it.”

read the book. all of what you listed came extremely close to not happening ...