Iridium® NEXT, a constellation story! Episode 1

Iridium® NEXT is a constellation of telecommunications satellites in Low Earth orbit. Built by Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor on behalf of Iridium, the constellation will count 66 satellites operational in orbit, 9 in-orbit spares and 6 more on the ground. It is designed to connect thousands of people of users around the world, via an ingenious network that links dozens of telecom satellites circling the planet. This first episode focuses on the first launch that took place on January 14th, 2017. That day, the first 10 Iridium® NEXT satellites were successfully orbited by SpaceX. © Thales Alenia Space/Master Image Programmes