# Iridium Communications

> satellite communications provider

**Wikidata**: [Q154387](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154387)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_Communications)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/iridium-communications

## Summary
Iridium Communications is a satellite communications provider that operates the Iridium satellite constellation, offering global voice and data coverage. It is a public company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, and is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

## Key Facts
- **Founded**: 2001 (inception date)
- **Headquarters**: McLean, Virginia, United States
- **Stock Exchange**: Listed on Nasdaq
- **Industry**: Telecommunications
- **Product**: Iridium satellite constellation
- **Operator**: Iridium Communications (since 2001)
- **Satellite Constellation**: Iridium NEXT (second generation, operating from 2019)
- **Legacy Satellites**: Iridium 33 (launched 1997, destroyed in 2009 collision)
- **Satellite Count**: 72 operational satellites as of January 14, 2017
- **Manufacturers**: Motorola (1997–2002), Thales Alenia Space (since 2017)
- **Named After**: Chemical element iridium (atomic number 77)
- **Key Contributors**: Raymond J. Leopold, Ken Peterson, Bary Bertiger
- **Coverage**: Global voice and data coverage, including polar regions
- **Orbit**: Low Earth orbit (LEO) with circular polar constellations
- **Website**: https://www.iridium.com/
- **Social Media**: Twitter handle @IridiumComm
- **Mobile Country Codes**: 310, 311, 312, 313, 316
- **Maritime Identification Digits**: 338, 366, 367, 368, 369
- **Calling Codes**: +8816, +8817, +7954
- **Sitelink Count**: 30 (Wikipedia links)

## FAQs
### Q: What services does Iridium Communications provide?
A: Iridium Communications provides global satellite voice and data services through its Iridium satellite constellation, ensuring coverage even in remote or polar regions where traditional networks are unavailable.

### Q: How does the Iridium satellite constellation work?
A: The constellation consists of 72 low Earth orbit satellites arranged in circular polar constellations, enabling continuous global coverage by maintaining line-of-sight communication with ground stations and user devices.

### Q: What is the difference between Iridium and Iridium NEXT?
A: Iridium NEXT is the second-generation satellite constellation that began operating in 2019, replacing the legacy Iridium satellites. The formal handover was completed on February 5, 2019.

### Q: Who are the key people behind Iridium Communications?
A: Raymond J. Leopold, Ken Peterson, and Bary Bertiger were instrumental in the development and operation of the Iridium satellite constellation.

### Q: Where is Iridium Communications headquartered?
A: Iridium Communications is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, United States.

## Why It Matters
Iridium Communications revolutionized global communications by providing reliable voice and data services anywhere on Earth, including remote and polar regions where traditional infrastructure is lacking. Its low Earth orbit satellite constellation ensures low-latency connections, making it critical for industries like aviation, maritime, and emergency services. The company's resilience and global reach have made it a cornerstone of modern satellite communications, enabling connectivity in areas previously considered unreachable. The transition to Iridium NEXT in 2019 marked a significant technological upgrade, ensuring continued service reliability and capacity for future growth.

## Notable For
- **Global Coverage**: Provides voice and data services worldwide, including polar regions
- **Low Earth Orbit**: Ensures low-latency communication compared to geostationary satellites
- **Large-Scale Deployment**: Operates 72 satellites, making it one of the largest commercial satellite constellations
- **Pioneering Technology**: One of the first systems to offer truly global mobile satellite communications
- **Resilience**: Designed to maintain service even if individual satellites fail
- **Second Generation**: Iridium NEXT represents the generational modernization of the Iridium satellite system
- **Historical Significance**: Iridium 33's 2009 collision highlighted the risks of space debris and orbital safety

## Body
### Company Overview
Iridium Communications is a public company founded in 2001 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia. It operates the Iridium satellite constellation, a network of communications satellites providing global voice and data coverage. The company is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange and is a member of the telecommunications industry.

### Satellite Constellation
The Iridium satellite constellation is the core product of Iridium Communications. It consists of 72 operational satellites in low Earth orbit, arranged in circular polar constellations to ensure continuous global coverage. The constellation is named after the chemical element iridium, reflecting its global reach (like the element's atomic number, 77).

### Generations of Satellites
- **Legacy Constellation**: The original Iridium satellites were manufactured by Motorola from 1997 to 2002.
- **Iridium NEXT**: The second-generation constellation, manufactured by Thales Alenia Space since 2017, began operating in 2019. The formal handover from legacy satellites to the NEXT fleet was completed on February 5, 2019.

### Key Satellites
- **Iridium 33**: A legacy communications satellite launched on September 14, 1997, via a Russian Proton-K carrier rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome. It had a mass of 700 kilograms and operated in a near-polar orbit (inclination 86.4 degrees). On February 10, 2009, Iridium 33 was involved in a significant satellite collision, resulting in its destruction and the creation of space debris.
- **Iridium NEXT Satellites**: The current operational satellites providing global coverage since 2019.

### Coverage and Applications
The Iridium constellation provides global voice and data coverage, including polar regions where traditional networks are unavailable. This makes it critical for industries such as aviation, maritime, emergency services, and remote communications. The low Earth orbit design ensures low-latency connections compared to geostationary satellites.

### Technical Specifications
- **Orbit**: Low Earth orbit (LEO)
- **Satellite Count**: 72 operational satellites (as of January 14, 2017)
- **Coverage**: Global, including polar regions
- **Latency**: Low-latency communication due to LEO positioning
- **Resilience**: Designed to maintain service even if individual satellites fail

### Identifiers and Digital Presence
- **Website**: https://www.iridium.com/
- **Social Media**: Twitter handle @IridiumComm
- **Mobile Country Codes**: 310, 311, 312, 313, 316
- **Maritime Identification Digits**: 338, 366, 367, 368, 369
- **Calling Codes**: +8816, +8817, +7954
- **Sitelink Count**: 30 (Wikipedia links)

### Historical Significance
The Iridium satellite constellation represents a major advancement in global telecommunications. The 2009 collision involving Iridium 33 was a landmark event in orbital mechanics and space safety, highlighting the growing risks of space debris and the need for better traffic management in Earth's orbit. The transition to Iridium NEXT in 2019 marked a significant technological upgrade, ensuring continued service reliability and capacity for future growth.

### Industry Position
As a public company listed on Nasdaq, Iridium Communications operates in the telecommunications industry, specifically in satellite communications. Its global coverage and resilience make it a unique player in the market, serving industries and regions where traditional communication infrastructure is unavailable or unreliable.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lobbyfacts.eu/datacard/iridium-communications-inc?rid=140115651007-70)
2. Polygon.io
3. [Source](https://sia.org/about-sia/sia-members-list/)
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. Global LEI Index
6. [Source](http://km.aifb.kit.edu/services/crunchbase/)
7. [Source](https://mcc-mnc.org/networks/901_03)
8. YouTube API
9. Wikirate