NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Iridium SV76 & SV78

Launch Time
Wed Aug 19, 1998 23:01 UTC

Rocket

Long March 2C/SD
Image Credit: CAC
CAC
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 2,962 kN
Payload to LEO: 2,500 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 34.65 m
Fairing Diameter: 3.35 m
Fairing Height: 5.84 m

Mission Details

Iridium SV76 & SV78

Iridium provides global mobile telecommunications services using a constellation of 66 low-earth orbit satellites in an 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.

Unlike other mobile satellite systems, Iridium employs Inter-Satellite Links to route signals from satellite to satellite using onboard signal processing. Each satellite is connected to its four neighboring satellites providing flexibility in where the ground network gateways are located. These gateways connect the Iridium network to the public switched telephone network.

Payloads: 2
Total Mass: 1,378.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

Location

LC-7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China

Stats

1998

50th orbital launch attempt

Long March 2C

16th mission
3rd mission of 1998
16th successful mission