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United States Air ForceDelta II 7920-10CSpace Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Iridium 15
Launched
July 9, 1997
Summary
Iridium 15 launched on an United States Air Force Delta II 7920-10C from Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on July 9, 1997. It was United States Air Force's 978th launch, 6th this year and humanity's 4,154th orbital launch attempt. It was the 2nd Delta II 7920-10C flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Iridium 15, one of 9 catalogued objects, reached a 626 × 646 km orbit inclined 86.4°. 9 objects from this launch are catalogued, 5 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Delta II 7920-10C · United States Air ForceIridium Constellation
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 2nd Delta II 7920-10C flightUnited States Air Force's 978th launch6th this yearhumanity's 4,154th orbital launch attempt36th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Iridium 15 · NORAD 24869 · 1997-034 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 9 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- IRIDIUM 15
- Object ID
- 1997-034A
- Epoch
- 1997-07-09 14:49:48 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.80129216 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0014611
- Inclination
- 86.402°
- Ascending node
- 185.5496°
- Arg. of perigee
- 253.5528°
- Mean anomaly
- 277.4218°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
9 catalogued: 5 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 3 components; 2 still in orbit
- Iridium 15 · NORAD 24869 · re-entered October 14, 2018
- Iridium 17 · NORAD 24870 · in orbit
- Iridium 20 · NORAD 24871 · in orbit
- Iridium 18 · NORAD 24872 · re-entered August 19, 2018
- Iridium 21 · NORAD 24873 · re-entered February 13, 2025
Delta 244 · re-entered March 30, 1998
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
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.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
52nd launch from Space Launch Complex 2W, 2nd this year · 573rd from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
99 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
64 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Iridium 15 launch?
Iridium 15 launched on July 9, 1997. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Iridium 15?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Iridium 15?
Delta II 7920-10C, flown by United States Air Force. Delta II 7920-10C spec sheet
Where did Iridium 15 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did Iridium 15 reach?
Iridium 15, one of 9 catalogued objects, reached a 626 × 646 km orbit inclined 86.4°.
How many satellites did Iridium 15 launch?
5 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Iridium 15 part of?
Iridium Constellation. About Iridium Constellation