Iridium 27 to 33

Proton-K/Block DM launched seven Iridium mobile-communications satellites from Baikonur into low Earth orbit, the first of three Proton-K missions used to help build out the Iridium constellation.

Outcome

Success

Orbit

LEO

Low Earth orbit

Payload to orbit

5.9 T

Flight

3rd

of 6 Proton-K/17S40 flights

Date and time

14 September 1997, 01:36 UTC

Rocket

Proton-K/17S40

Builder

Khrunichev

Launch site

81/23 (81L), Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Payload

Communications

International designator

1997-051

Launches in 1997

53rd of 89

See it in orbit

Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.

Object pages on Space Atlas: Iridium 33

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