Iridium Says Low Risk for Satellite Collision

The possibility of collisions between satellites in space has lowered sharply due to more communication between the US military satellite trackers and Iridium communications.  So far there has only been one collision involving an Iridium satellite.

According to Matthew Desch, Iridium’s chief executive the risk is very, very low for any future collisions.

The US Air Force has began sharing more information with satellite operators about the possibility of collisions after the collision between one of the sixty six Iridium satellites and a dead Russian military satellite which occurred in February 2009.  The collision destroyed both satellites.  It was the first collision between two intact satellites. 

Since that collision Iridium has slightly moved some of its sixty six satellites almost 100 times to get them out of harm’s way.  Iridium moves the satellites by using the thruster engines on each satellite. 

A study recently released by the US said the amount of debris orbiting the earth has reached a tipping point for collisions.

The study said NASA needs a new plan for mitigating the hazards caused by dead satellites, rocket bodies, and thousands of pieces of space junk flying around the earth at 17,500 miles per hour.

Iridium is planning to replace their constellation of satellites in their network with new ones to provide better data and voice communication.  They plan to start this project called Iridium Next as early as 2015.

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