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China Aerospace CorporationLong March 2C/SDLaunch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Iridium 51 & 61
Launched
March 25, 1998
Summary
Iridium 51 & 61 launched on a China Aerospace Corporation Long March 2C/SD from Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on March 25, 1998. It was China Aerospace Corporation's 20th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 4,226th orbital launch attempt. It was the 3rd Long March 2C/SD flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Iridium 51, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 624 × 642 km orbit inclined 86.4°. 8 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 3rd Long March 2C/SD flight · 1st this yearChina Aerospace Corporation's 20th launch1st this yearhumanity's 4,226th orbital launch attempt19th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Iridium 51 · NORAD 25262 · 1998-018 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 8 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- IRIDIUM 51
- Object ID
- 1998-018A
- Epoch
- 1998-03-25 18:01:09 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.81103205 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0012356
- Inclination
- 86.385°
- Ascending node
- 13.707°
- Arg. of perigee
- 284.4126°
- Mean anomaly
- 75.5724°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0.00095478
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: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 5 components; none still in orbit
- Iridium 51 · NORAD 25262 · re-entered March 14, 2026
- Iridium 61 · NORAD 25263 · re-entered July 23, 2019
CZ-2C SD-Y3 Stage 2 · re-entered April 24, 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
Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
5th launch from Launch Complex 7, 1st this year · 5th from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
32 launches from this pad · 162 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
107 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Questions
When did Iridium 51 & 61 launch?
Iridium 51 & 61 launched on March 25, 1998. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Iridium 51 & 61?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Iridium 51 & 61?
Long March 2C/SD, flown by China Aerospace Corporation. Long March 2C/SD spec sheet
Where did Iridium 51 & 61 launch from?
Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China.
What orbit did Iridium 51 & 61 reach?
Iridium 51, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 624 × 642 km orbit inclined 86.4°.
How many satellites did Iridium 51 & 61 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Iridium 51 & 61 part of?
Iridium Constellation. About Iridium Constellation