Iridium NEXT Mission 3 – Spaceflight Now

Photos: Falcon 9 rocket’s predawn launch from California

October 10, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket took off Monday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with 10 new satellites for Iridium’s upgraded communications network in low Earth orbit.

Video: Iridium payload released from Falcon 9 rocket in orbit

October 10, 2017 Stephen Clark

Watch a replay from a camera mounted on-board SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as it released one of 10 Iridium Next communications satellites Monday nearly 400 miles above Earth.

SpaceX launch adds another 10 satellites to Iridium Next fleet

October 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

Ten more satellites for Iridium’s upgraded voice and data communications fleet rode a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into a nearly 400-mile-high orbit from California’s Central Coast Monday.

Video: Launch to landing replay of Monday’s Falcon 9 flight

October 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

Watch this replay of Monday’s liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, followed by touchdown of the booster’s first stage on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from California, lands in Pacific

October 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket at 5:37 a.m. PDT (8:37 a.m. EDT; 1237 GMT) Monday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with the third set of 10 new-generation satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay network. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster successfully landed on a platform in the Pacific Ocean a few minutes after liftoff.

Photos: SpaceX preps Falcon 9 rocket for launch from Vandenberg

October 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX aims to launch a Falcon 9 rocket Monday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with 10 new satellites for Iridium’s tracking and message relay constellation in low Earth orbit.

Timeline for Falcon 9’s third launch of Iridium satellites

October 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with the third set of 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay fleet.

Iridium’s third batch of new satellites set for Monday launch

October 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

Ten new satellites for Iridium’s $3 billion next-generation communications network are set for launch Monday from California’s Central Coast aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

SpaceX sets target launch dates for back-to-back flights next month

September 26, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX engineers are readying two Falcon 9 rockets for launches Oct. 7 and Oct. 9 from Florida and California, setting up another quick turnaround to first deploy a large TV broadcasting satellite for SES and EchoStar over the United States with a previously-flown booster, then add 10 more spacecraft to Iridium’s fleet of new-generation voice and data relay network.