Successful launch for 5 additional spare satellites of the upgraded Iridium satellite constellation manufactured by Thales Alenia Space

20/05/2023

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Cannes, May 20, 2023 - Five additional spare satellites part of the upgraded Iridium constellation of telecommunication satellites were successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The entire constellation was developed and built by Thales Alenia Space, the joint company between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), leading an industrial consortium. This batch of five satellites is following eight successful launches* between January 2017 and January 2019, a total of 75 Iridium satellites being already deployed to form a fully operational system in low Earth orbit (LEO) from an altitude of about 780 km. More specifically, the constellation operates with 66 satellites, distributed in six orbital planes of 11 satellites each, and will be now supported by 14 in-orbit spare satellites.

Thales Alenia Space, as prime contractor for the Iridium NEXT campaign, was in charge of all engineering, production, procurement and integration operations, along with the ground and in-orbit testing of the constellation's overall performance. The volume production was conducted by Northrop Grumman at its Gilbert, Arizona facility where the five spares were stored.

Northrop Grumman

Engaged for 13 years alongside Iridium on its upgraded constellation, Thales Alenia Space is particularly proud to support Iridium in their resiliency for their blooming business , commented Marc Henri Serre, EVP Telecommunications at Thales Alenia Space.

Iridium satellite constellation, the world's highest performance, most flexible and most sophisticated constellation

Thales Alenia Space/Master Image Programmes

The Iridium satellite constellation represents the state of the art in terms of technology and flexibility. It features global coverage, with limited ground infrastructure, since each satellite is linked to the four closest satellites, in front, behind, to the right and left. No matter where the user is located, there will always be at least one satellite visible from their position on Earth, enabling them to communicate. This type of direct satellite access, whether for transmission or reception, means that communications can be established at any given moment, even in the case of natural disasters or conflicts, in isolated areas, or to provide secure communications with protection against intrusion and piracy.

* 80 satellites orbited in 9 launches:

9th launch - May 19, 2023 - 5 satellites

8th launch - January 11, 2019 - 10 satellites

7th launch - July 25, 2018 - 10 satellites

6th launch - May 23, 2018 - 5 satellites

5th launch - March 30, 2018 - 10 satellites

4th launch - December 23, 2017 - 10 satellites

3rd launch - October 9, 2017 - 10 satellites

2nd launch - June 26, 2017 - 10 satellites

1st launch - January 14, 2017 - 10 satellites

ABOUT THALES ALENIA SPACE

Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies' Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately 2.2 billion in 2022 and has around 8,500 employees in 10 countries with 17 sites in Europe and a plant in the US.

THALES ALENIA SPACE - PRESS CONTACTS

Sandrine Bielecki

Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94

sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com

Catherine des Arcis

Tel: +33 (0)6 78 64 63 97

catherine.des-arcis@thalesaleniaspace.com

Cinzia Marcanio

Tel.: +39 (0)6 415 126 85

cinzia.marcanio@thalesaleniaspace.com

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LINK:	https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press_release/successfu...
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Successful launch for 5 additional spare satellites of the upgraded Iridium satellite constellation manufactured by Thales Alenia Space

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