Long March 2C/SD | Iridium 51 & 61

Launch Provider & Rocket

• Provider: China Aerospace Corporation (Government)
• Rocket: Long March 2C/SD — Long March family

Mission

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

• Type: Communications
• Orbit: Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Launch Site

• Pad: Launch Complex 7
• Location: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
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Program

• Iridium Constellation — The Iridium satellite constellation provides L band voice and data information coverage to satellite phones, satellite messenger communication devices and integrated transceivers. (Wikipedia)