Iridium Communications Inc is a publicly traded American satellite communications company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Its principal operating subsidiary, Iridium Satellite LLC, operates the Iridium satellite constellation of 80 satellites, 66 operational and fourteen in orbit spares, providing worldwide voice and data communication to handheld satellite phones and other devices. The nearly polar orbits and inter satellite links give the constellation global service availability, and Iridium satellites also host the space based Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast receivers operated by its Aireon subsidiary.
Facts
Agency TypePublicly traded American satellite communications company 1 Founded Year HeadquartersMcLean, Virginia, United States 1 HeadMatthew J. Desch, Chief Executive Officer 1 Annual BudgetUS$871.7 million total revenue (fiscal year 2025, per SEC Form 10-K) 1 FAQs
Why do Iridium satellites orbit so much lower than most communications satellites?
Iridium uses low Earth orbit, about 780 kilometers up, for stronger signals and smaller antennas.
Most other satellite networks use geostationary orbit, at about 35,000 kilometers (22,000 miles) from the planet. The Iridium constellation instead sits in low Earth orbit, approximately 780 kilometers (485 miles) above the Earth. Iridium states that this lower orbit provides stronger signals and faster connections through smaller antennas with lower power requirements.
How are Iridium satellites linked to each other in space?
Each Iridium satellite is cross-linked to four others, forming a global mesh.
In space, each Iridium satellite is cross-linked to four others. Iridium says these links provide advantages in reliability and resiliency, and that together the satellites create a global mesh of coverage.
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: Iridium Communications
Wikipedia- Infobox company, founded field
Lead sentence, headquarters clause
Iridium Communications Inc. is a publicly traded American satellite communications company headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
- Infobox company, key_people field
Lead sentence, company-type clause
Iridium Communications Inc. is a publicly traded American satellite communications company headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
- Infobox company, revenue field, citing the 2025 Annual Report (Form 10-K)
In Group: United States Satellite Operators, Lead sentence
is a publicly traded American satellite communications company headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
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