Iridium 62 to 68
Proton-K/17S40
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Mission
Iridium 62 to 68
- Type: Communications
- Orbit: Low Earth Orbit
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.
Location
81/23 (81L)
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
81/23 (81L) has witnessed the launch of 104 rockets, including 104 orbital launch attempts, while Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan, has been the site for 1547 rocket launches.
Rocket
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center Proton-K/17S40
The Proton-K was a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Agency
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Moscow-based producer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets and is currently developing the Angara rocket family. The Proton launch vehicle launches from Baikonur and Rokot launches from Baikonur and Plesetsk. Angara will launch from Plesetsk and Vostochny.
