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United States Air ForceDelta II 7920-10CSpace Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56
Launched
February 18, 1998
Summary
Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56 launched on an United States Air Force Delta II 7920-10C from Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on February 18, 1998. It was United States Air Force's 990th launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 4,218th orbital launch attempt. It was the 7th Delta II 7920-10C flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Iridium 52, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 619 × 664 km orbit inclined 86.6°. 8 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
- 7th Delta II 7920-10C flight · 1st this yearUnited States Air Force's 990th launch3rd this yearhumanity's 4,218th orbital launch attempt11th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Iridium 52 · NORAD 25169 · 1998-010 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 8 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- IRIDIUM 52
- Object ID
- 1998-010A
- Epoch
- 1998-02-18 18:12:02 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.78374594 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0031817
- Inclination
- 86.5826°
- Ascending node
- 59.7082°
- Arg. of perigee
- 198.5151°
- Mean anomaly
- 161.5522°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- 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
8 catalogued: 5 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 2 components; none still in orbit
- Iridium 52 · NORAD 25169 · re-entered November 5, 2018
- Iridium 56 · NORAD 25170 · re-entered October 11, 2018
- Iridium 54 · NORAD 25171 · re-entered May 11, 2019
- Iridium 50 · NORAD 25172 · re-entered September 23, 2018
- Iridium 53 · NORAD 25173 · re-entered September 30, 2018
Delta 254 · re-entered August 27, 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
57th launch from Space Launch Complex 2W, 1st this year · 582nd from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
99 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
60 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56 launch?
Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56 launched on February 18, 1998. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56?
Delta II 7920-10C, flown by United States Air Force. Delta II 7920-10C spec sheet
Where did Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56 reach?
Iridium 52, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 619 × 664 km orbit inclined 86.6°.
How many satellites did Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56 launch?
5 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Iridium 50, 52, 53, 54, 56 part of?
Iridium Constellation. About Iridium Constellation