Five additional satellites increase number of in-orbit spares to 14
Aireon announced today the successful launch and deployment of an additional 5 satellites carrying its space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) payloads, hosted on the upgraded Iridium® satellite constellation. The five satellites were launched this morning from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and are now part of a fleet of 14 spare satellites providing additional backup capability to the 66 operating satellites, which were launched from 2017 to 2019.
“The launch of the five spare satellites further solidifies the resiliency and redundancy of the already extremely robust Iridium satellite constellation,” said Don Thoma, Aireon CEO. “For Aireon, this launch provides additional insurance to the Aireon system, underscoring our position as the most trusted and reliable provider of aircraft position data in the world.”
The Iridium satellite constellation consists of 66 low-earth orbit crosslinked satellites, offering truly global, pole-to-pole satellite coverage for a variety of land, maritime, and aviation customers.
Aireon, via its unique position on the Iridium constellation, provides unparalleled surveillance and navigation data to the aviation community. Currently Aireon services more than 20 air navigation service providers (ANSP), representing more than 40 countries and covering more than half of global airspace. Additionally, Aireon is leveraging that position to bring new capabilities to the larger aviation community via its Commercial Data Product portfolio, which is designed to enhance safety and improve operational efficiency.
