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Launch SuccessfulKhrunichev State Research and Production Space Center

Proton-K/17S40: Iridium 62 to 68

Iridium provides global mobile telecommunications services using a constellation of 66 low earth orbit satellites in a 86.4° inclined orbit. Although 77 satellites were originally envisioned for the system and spawned the name based on the 77th element in the periodic table, the system has been scaled back. Motorola's Satellite Communications Group designed and manufactured the Iridium satellites with Lockheed Martin providing the LM-700A spacecraft buses.

Tuesday, 7 April 1998
Proton-K/17S40: Iridium 62 to 68

Mission Data

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
🇷🇺Khrunichev State Research and Production Space CenterEst. 1916
Launch VehicleProton-K/17S40
Vehicle FamilyProton / UR-500
Vehicle Record6 of 6 launches (100%)
Provider TypeGovernment
Agency Record178 successes / 15 failures (92%)
Success Streak4 consecutive
ProgramIridium Constellation · Communication Constellation
Mission TypeCommunications
Target OrbitLow Earth Orbit
Launch Pad81/23 (81L)
Location🇰🇿 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan KAZ
Orbital Launches This Year#22
Agency Launches This Year#1
Launches From This Pad104
Launches From This Site1,565
Status Note

The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).

About Proton-K/17S40

The Proton-K was a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Launch Site

81/23 (81L) · 46.0740°N 62.9780°E

Launch data from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs.