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FCC Greenlights Iridium Plan for Deorbiting Its 1st-generation Constellation


FCC Greenlights Iridium Plan for Deorbiting Its 1st-generation Constellation Mobile satellite services provider Iridium Communications’ request that U.S. regulators loosen requirements for deorbiting the current Iridium satellite constellation will still permit the company to bring down all of its satellites within a few years of their retirement, company officials said. And for most of the satellites, the post-retirement deorbit plan remains what it was from the start: They will be lowered to an elliptical orbit low enough to force them into the atmosphere to burn up within months, not years. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which licenses Iridium’s operations, approved part of the company’s deorbit modification request for as many as 10 satellites, and rejected the request for similar dispensation for the entire 66-satellite constellation. Company officials said they have no problem with the FCC decision.   More



(Source: SpaceNews.com - Sep 19)

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