The last launch of the Iridium satellites took place on July 25, 2018
SpaceX has again postponed the final launch of the Iridium Next satellites. Now it is reported that the start will start no earlier than January 11th. Iridium CEO Matt Desch announced that the last launch was planned for January 8, although SpaceX did not announce this date.
On January 6, SpaceX announced that the Falcon 9 rocket with ten satellites had completed a test firing. The same tweet stated that the exact launch date has not been set yet. On January 7, Desch wrote on Twitter that SpaceX hopes to fly on January 11 or 12 as a spare date. The rocket should launch from Vandenberg base in California. SpaceX employees have not provided additional information yet. To launch the constellation of the Iridium Next satellites, an instant window is required for the devices to be installed in the selected orbits. While the weather forecast for Friday seems favorable. Last week, Iridium held a press conference in which Desch emphasized his confidence in SpaceX, despite delays in launches.
The upcoming flight will be the eighth partnership between the two companies and will lead to the creation of a constellation of 66 functioning satellites and 9 backup copies in orbit.
