SpaceX signs deal to launch commercial satellites
June 17, 2010 The deal, to be announced Wednesday, comes two weeks after
Falcon 9 reached orbit on its maiden test flight.
Iridium previously announced plans to replace its current
satellite network by launching six dozen next-generation satellites
between 2015 and 2017 at a cost of $2.9 billion. The company, which
covers the whole world, uses the satellites to provide voice and
data services for commercial and government clients.
Neither company would say how many Falcon 9 launches would be
required to put the satellites into low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg
Air Force Base, Calif. Each rocket launch will carry multiple
satellites into space.
"It's a perfect marriage," Iridium chief executive Matt Desch
said of the agreement with SpaceX.
While SpaceX will be the main launch provider, Iridium expects
to sign with at least one more rocket maker.
SpaceX - or Space Exploration Technologies - is run by PayPal
founder Elon Musk. NASA hopes to use SpaceX to haul supplies and
possibly astronauts to the International Space Station once the
space shuttles retire.
Musk called the Iridium deal "a very big endorsement." The
satellite phone company had its choice of international launch
providers, but ultimately chose Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX.
"Falcon 9 is the vehicle of choice both for the federal
government and the commercial sector," Musk said.