Iridium Selects Relativity Space
as On-Demand Single Satellite Launch Partner
June 24, 2020
Relativity Space announced that
Iridium Communications Inc. has signed a launch contract
to deliver satellites to orbit. The contract includes
flexible timing for up to six dedicated launches to
deploy Iridium’s ground spare satellites to Low Earth
Orbit (LEO). The launches will take place on an
as-needed basis, determined by Iridium and utilizing
Relativity’s Terran 1, the world’s first 3D printed
launch vehicle. Launches are planned for no earlier than
2023.
The second-generation Iridium
constellation was completed in January 2019 and consists
of 66 operational satellites and 9 in-orbit spares. An
additional six satellites were manufactured as ground
spares and remain in storage. Should the need arise to
launch a ground spare, Relativity’s Terran 1 offers a
cost-effective, efficient response time option for
Iridium to quickly deploy a satellite to one of its six
orbital planes. Relativity’s disruptive large-scale
robotic 3D printing technology enables launches within
months, instead of years.
“The upgraded Iridium satellite
constellation is operating incredibly well, but it’s
prudent to have a cost-effective launch option available
for future spare delivery,” said Matt Desch CEO of
Iridium. “Relativity’s Terran 1 fits our launch needs to
LEO well from both a price, responsiveness and
capability perspective. And we know based on our
previous experience that there are great benefits to
engaging with a provider early on during development of
the launch vehicle and it evolving around our particular
needs.”
On June 24, 2020, Relativity also
announced a Right of Entry Agreement with the United
States Air Force, 30th Space Wing, for development of
rocket launch facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
These launch site facilities will support flights to the
polar orbits needed for the Iridium satellite
constellation.
“Iridium offers critical
communications over the planet’s entire surface, and we
are very proud to be their launch partner that supports
this capability,” said Tim Ellis, CEO and co-founder,
Relativity Space. “As the first 3D printed launch
vehicle, Terran 1 offers uniquely disruptive
flexibility, cost, and performance advantages,
especially for medium-payload missions that need
dedicated launches.”
Relativity continues to grow its
customer manifest and public-private partnerships. This
agreement is the fifth announced launch customer for
Relativity, and the first to take advantage of the
company’s recently announced Right of Entry at
Vandenberg Air Force Base. A potential launch site at
Vandenberg is Relativity’s latest addition to its
portfolio of major infrastructure partnerships, which
also include a launch site Right of Entry at Cape
Canaveral Launch Complex-16 and an exclusive-use
Commercial Space Launch Act (CSLA) agreement for NASA
test sites E4 and E2 at the NASA Stennis Space Center.
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