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Iridium’s constellation
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Most of us remember Iridium as the Motorola-backed, multi-billion dollar commercial satellite phone flop. The expensive, bulky phones, the $2 per minute airtime charge, and the inability to use the phone inside buildings doomed the project, which came online when the cell phone market was taking off.

Despite all these problems, the US military found the phones useful in remote areas with no cell phone coverage and few buildings, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. So DoD backed an effort for the constellation to be acquired by investors at a fraction of the original investment, and DoD became the revived satellite company’s largest customer.

In 2007, Iridium Satellite undertook an effort to develop a second-generation satellite constellation called Iridium NEXT. Expected to be ready in 2014, Iridium NEXT will offer higher data speeds, flexible bandwidth allocation, and IP-based routing. Iridium recently awarded a contract to Hughes Network Systems, a supplier of Iridium handsets and terminals, to develop the access network controller for the Iridium NEXT ground control network…

Early Iridium poster
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Beginning in 2014, Iridium plans to replace the current 66 low-earth-orbit satellite constellation with new satellites that will provide enhanced capabilities, higher speeds and greater bandwidth. Lockheed Martin and Thales Alenia Space are competing to become the prime contractor for the Iridium NEXT project.

Iridium NEXT’s improvements will include data rates up to 1 Mbps, Ka-band service, private network gateways, and broadcast and netted services. “Phase II of Netted Iridium Program Underway” has more on Iridium netted services for the US Marine Corps.

In addition to providing voice and data communications, the NEXT constellation will be able to host payloads that will allow partners to add capabilities to the satellites and retrieve payload-generated data from control centers located on the earth.

DoD is considering a payload to support its space situational awareness requirements. Other payloads being considered include:

• remote sensing
• weather monitoring
• earth observation
• command and control

These payloads will use Iridium satellite cross-links to deliver sensor and other data to the partners who developed the payloads.

Contracts and Key Events

Feb 8/10: Iridium announces the awarding of a contract to Hughes Network Systems, a supplier of Iridium handsets and terminals, to develop the access network controller (ANC) for the Iridium NEXT ground control network.

Under the development contract, Hughes will design and supply an ANC system, which will process voice and data calls received from the satellites and route them to the end user. It will double the capacity of the existing Iridium system and enable the addition of ground terminal sites. Iridium expects the ANC to be complete and operational by the 4th quarter of 2011.

Jan 28/10: Integral Systems in Colorado Springs, CO announces that its subsidiary RT Logic received a contract to supply 2 Telemetrix 400XR modulator/receiver (T400XR) modems for the Iridium NEXT system.

Nov 19/09: Iridium announces that it completed technical studies, working with independent technology partners, that demonstrate the feasibility of hosting earth observation and remote sensing payloads on its Iridium NEXT satellites.

Aug 4/09: Iridium Satellite announces it selected 2 companies – Lockheed Martin and Thales Alenia Space – to participate in the final phase of its procurement process for the Iridium NEXT constellation. Iridium chose Lockheed Martin and Thales Alenia Space as a result of their initial constellation design concepts; demonstrated understanding of performance requirements and capabilities; and preliminary cost estimates for the manufacture and launch of Iridium NEXT.

February 2007: Iridium Satellite announces its intention to build a second-generation satellite constellation called Iridium NEXT. Anticipated to begin launching in 2014, Iridium NEXT will offer enhancements including: improved data speeds, higher quality voice, flexible allocation of bandwidth, and IP-based technology.

Additional Reading

• Iridium Satellite – Iridium NEXT web site

• Iridium Satellite – Iridium NEXT Brochure [pdf]

• DID (Dec 3/09) – Phase II of Netted Iridium Program Underway

• Space News (Sept 24/09) – Iridium Next Bidders Seek Backing from Export Credit Agencies

• DID (July 13/09) – High Integrity GPS/ iGPS: Boeing’s Iridium Ace Card

• Space News (March 26/09) – Iridium Next Satellites To Be Integrated

• Space Daily (Dec 7/07) – Iridium Satellite Appoints Leader For NEXT Development

• PCWorld (Feb 17/07) – Iridium Plans Next-Generation, IP-Based Satellites

• DID (April 17/06) – US Military Pays $80.4M for Iridium Services