# Iridium 8

> communications satellite operated by Iridium Communications

**Wikidata**: [Q111498609](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111498609)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/iridium-8

## Summary
Iridium 8 (also Iridium SV008) was a communications satellite operated by Iridium Communications and a member of the Iridium satellite constellation. It was launched on 1997-05-05 and reentered the atmosphere (orbital decay) on 2017-11-24.

## Key Facts
- Iridium 8 is an instance of a communications satellite and is listed as a former entity.  
- Alias: Iridium SV008.  
- Operator: Iridium Communications.  
- Part of: Iridium satellite constellation (a satellite constellation providing voice and data coverage).  
- COSPAR ID / NSSDC ID: 1997-020A.  
- Launch date and time (UTC): 1997-05-05 at 14:55:28.  
- Launch site: Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 West.  
- Launch vehicle: Delta II (vehicle variant D-242).  
- Significant events: rocket launch from Vandenberg SLC-2W on 1997-05-05; atmospheric entry (time of orbit decay) on 2017-11-24.  
- SCN (Satellite Catalog Number / internal code): 24792.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "24792"].

## FAQs
### Q: What is Iridium 8?
A: Iridium 8 was a communications satellite operated by Iridium Communications and a member of the Iridium satellite constellation, which provides voice and data coverage.

### Q: When and where was Iridium 8 launched?
A: Iridium 8 was launched from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 West on 1997-05-05 at 14:55:28 UTC aboard a Delta II (D-242) launch vehicle.

### Q: Is Iridium 8 still in orbit?
A: No. Iridium 8 experienced atmospheric entry (orbital decay) on 2017-11-24.

### Q: What are its official identifiers?
A: Its COSPAR ID and NSSDC ID are 1997-020A, and its SCN is 24792.

## Why It Matters
Iridium 8 was one element of the Iridium satellite constellation, a system designed to provide global voice and data coverage. As part of that constellation, Iridium 8 contributed to a distributed network of satellites that enabled long-distance mobile telecommunications independent of terrestrial infrastructure. Its two-decade on-orbit life — from its 1997 launch to its 2017 atmospheric reentry — reflects the operational lifespan of satellites deployed during the initial Iridium program era. The satellite’s deployment from Vandenberg aboard a Delta II rocket connects it to the established launch practices of the 1990s. Tracking its identifiers and lifecycle events (launch, operations under Iridium Communications, and eventual decay) is relevant for historical records, orbital debris catalogs, and assessments of how early-generation communications satellites supported global connectivity until replacement or retirement.

## Notable For
- Being part of the Iridium satellite constellation that provides voice and data coverage.  
- Launched on 1997-05-05 from Vandenberg SLC-2W aboard a Delta II (D-242) launch vehicle.  
- Official identifiers: COSPAR/NSSDC 1997-020A and SCN 24792.  
- Recorded atmospheric entry (orbital decay) on 2017-11-24, marking it as a former (deorbited) satellite.  
- Alias designation: Iridium SV008.

## Body

### Overview
- Name: Iridium 8.  
- Alias: Iridium SV008.  
- Instance type: communications satellite; classified as a former entity after orbital decay.  
- Operator: Iridium Communications.  
- Part of: Iridium satellite constellation (provides voice and data coverage).

### Identifiers and Cataloguing
- SCN: 24792.  
- COSPAR ID: 1997-020A.  
- NSSDC ID: 1997-020A.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "24792"].

### Launch
- Launch date (UTC): 1997-05-05.  
- Launch time (UTC qualifier): 14:55:28.  
- Launch site: Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 West.  
- Launch vehicle: Delta II, vehicle variant D-242.  
- Significant event recorded at launch: rocket launch from Vandenberg SLC-2W on 1997-05-05.

### Operational History and End of Mission
- Operated by Iridium Communications while part of the Iridium satellite constellation.  
- Significant end-of-mission event: atmospheric entry / orbital decay on 2017-11-24.  
- Following atmospheric entry, the satellite is classified as a former entity.

### Related Classes
- Communications satellite: artificial satellite designed for telecommunications.  
- Delta II: the Delta II is a retired expendable launch system in the Delta rocket family; it was the launch vehicle used for Iridium 8 (D-242 variant).

### References (data source labels provided in original record)
- Launch and event records and identifiers are recorded under data entries associated with the original spacecraft record.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1997-020A)