 A mockup of an Iridium satellite | |
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | Iridium Satellite LLC |
| COSPAR ID | 1997-051C |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Satellite bus | LM-700A |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 14 September 1997 |
| Rocket | Proton-K/DM2 |
| Launch site | Baikonur 81/23 |
| Contractor | ILS |
| End of mission | |
| Destroyed |
10 February 2009, 16:56 UTC Collision with Kosmos 2251 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
Iridium 33 was a U.S. Iridium communications satellite. It was launched into low Earth orbit from Site 81/23 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 01:36 GMT on 14 September 1997, by a Proton-K carrier rocket with a Block DM2 upper stage.[1][2] It was operated in Plane 3 of the Iridium satellite constellation, with an ascending node of 230.9°.[1]
Destruction[]
Main article: 2009 satellite collision
On 10 February 2009, at 16:56 GMT, Kosmos 2251 (a retired Strela satellite) and Iridium 33 collided, resulting in the destruction of both spacecraft.[3] NASA reported that a large amount of space debris was produced by the collision.[4][5][6]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wade, Mark. "Iridium". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/project/iridium.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ↑ Wade, Mark. "Proton". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/proton.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ↑ Iannotta, Becky (2009-02-11). "U.S. Satellite Destroyed in Space Collision". Space.com. http://www.space.com/news/090211-satellite-collision.html. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ↑ "2 orbiting satellites collide 500 miles up". Associated Press. 2009-02-11. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5grGfFhzFgjxK46MQHTwD1RgRUwCAD969LB802. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ↑ "Google Earth KMZ file of the debris". John Burns. 2009-03-05. http://www.john.geek.nz/2009/03/satellite-collision-google-earth-kmz-file/. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
- ↑ "U.S. Space debris environment and operational updates". NASA. 2011-02-07. http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/pdf/pres/stsc2011/tech-31.pdf. Retrieved 201-08-25.
The original article can be found at Iridium 33 and the edit history here.