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Iridium Communications, trading as IRDM, operates a 66-satellite LEO constellation delivering voice, data, and IoT connectivity worldwide, including polar regions.
IRDMACTIVEGlobal mobile satellite communications provider operating a 66-satellite LEO constellation providing voice, data, and IoT services worldwide including polar regions.
Global mobile satellite communications provider operating a 66-satellite LEO constellation providing voice, data, and IoT services worldwide including polar regions.
Broadband service for maritime, aviation, and land mobile.
66-satellite LEO constellation for global voice and data.
| Iridium HQ | headquarters | McLean, US |
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Compiled Sep 27, 2026 from 6 public records. Every figure links the record it comes from. Facts only: nothing here is a rating, a forecast or a recommendation.
Space federal awards
1 award, $484.6M obligated
Awards with activity since Oct 1, 2018, as searched Sep 24, 2026. Awarded Oct 18, 2013 to Oct 18, 2013; most from DoD (1 award)
Counts awards the government's own product code or programme title marks as space work, or the space research industry code; the satellite-telecoms industry code counts only together with a space agency, office or a space word in the award's own description. Obligated dollars, not ceilings; umbrella contracts (IDVs) are left out because their orders are counted one by one. Amounts as USAspending reported them on Sep 24, 2026.
Source: USAspending.gov recipient profile (all awards, not only space)
Latest award Oct 18, 2013
Latest space award
$484.6M from DoD
SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SERVICES
Source: USAspending.gov award record
Awarded Oct 18, 2013
SEC filings, last 12 months
174 filings
Including 4 periodic reports and 15 current reports
Source: SEC EDGAR company filings
Latest Sep 24, 2026
Satellites owned or operated
80 in orbit of 87 launched
Latest: Iridium Next SV181
Payloads GCAT lists with this organisation as owner or operator. "In orbit" is GCAT status O. Counted under GCAT organisation code IRIDS. Catalogue updated Sep 24, 2026.
Source: GCAT satellite catalogue
Latest launch May 20, 2023
Department of Defense
1 space award, $484.6M obligated
USAspending.gov award record, Oct 18, 2013
Northrop Grumman Civil Sats. and Nat. Security Systems
Built 25 of its satellites (latest Iridium Next SV181)
GCAT satellite catalogue, May 20, 2023
Orbital ATK Civil Sats. and Nat. Security Systems
Built 55 of its satellites (latest Iridium Next SV161)
Satellite data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0.
APA
SpaceNexus. (2026, September 27). Iridium Communications: Company dossier [Data set]. Retrieved September 27, 2026, from https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/iridium-communications
Chicago
SpaceNexus. "Iridium Communications: Company dossier." Data as of September 27, 2026. Accessed September 27, 2026. https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/iridium-communications.
BibTeX
@misc{spacenexus_iridiumcommunications_2026,
author = {{SpaceNexus}},
title = {{Iridium Communications}: Company dossier},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
howpublished = {\url{https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/iridium-communications}},
url = {https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/iridium-communications},
urldate = {2026-09-27},
note = {Data as of 2026-09-27; each fact links its primary source}
}Estimated: around Thu, Oct 22, 2026 (not announced by the company) · period ending September 2026
Estimated from the company's own SEC filings: it reported the same period a year earlier on Thu, Oct 23, 2025. The company has not announced this date.
Results filed Wed, Jul 22, 2026, before the market opened · period ending June 2026
Share move: not captured (no closing quote was recorded for that session)
Motorola Satellite Communications
Built 7 of its satellites (latest Iridium 97)
GCAT satellite catalogue, Jun 20, 2002
Shareholder vote results; Other event the company chose to report
8-K items: 5.07 Shareholder vote results · 8.01 Other event the company chose to report · 9.01 Documents attached
Current report (8-K) · · Read the filing on SEC.gov (opens in a new tab) · Filing index (opens in a new tab)
Merger or acquisition communication (425)
Merger or acquisition communication (425) · · Read the filing on SEC.gov (opens in a new tab) · Filing index (opens in a new tab)
Other event the company chose to report
Current report (8-K) · · Read the filing on SEC.gov (opens in a new tab) · Filing index (opens in a new tab)
Merger or acquisition communication (425)
Merger or acquisition communication (425) · · Read the filing on SEC.gov (opens in a new tab) · Filing index (opens in a new tab)
Signed a material agreement
8-K items: 1.01 Signed a material agreement · 9.01 Documents attached
Current report (8-K) · · Read the filing on SEC.gov (opens in a new tab) · Filing index (opens in a new tab)
Merger or acquisition communication (425)
Merger or acquisition communication (425) · · Read the filing on SEC.gov (opens in a new tab) · Filing index (opens in a new tab)