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Iridium Returns From The Dead. Again.

Posted by Hemos on from the just-die-already dept.

Tjp($)pjT writes "A Canadian company which bought Iridium for roughly a quarter of a cent on the dollar has scheduled the re-opening of the service. Rescued from a blazing death of dropping all 66 sats and their spares out of orbit to burn up on reentry, the 5 BILLION dollar system was purchased on the block for 25 million. The US Government contracted with the service for unlimited air time for 20,000 phones for two years with other options. More can be read here."

4 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Latest News From Canadian Iridium Satelite LTD by Masem · · Score: 5
    The latest press release from the Canadian company that bought the Iridium system, Iridium Satelite LTD, announced their latest plans for the failing system. They plan to try to land all 66 satelites on the asteroid Eros. "If the United States thinks they can outdo us by landing a dinky space craft on that asteroid, they're aboot to get another thing coming, eh?".

    Rumor has it they will land the satelites to either spell the word "7-Up" or "Chairhead".

    (Oh wait, I already did this joke!, doh!)

    --
    "Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
    "I can see my house from here!" - ST:
  2. Article is misunderstanding market segment. by Dyelar · · Score: 5


    The market segment for this service is not the normal cell phone user as they point out. They fail to mention that the real market for this service is in avionics. If you are sitting up in a plane, well, to say the least, cell phones don't work. The signal hitting a ton of towers at once is not a good thing for the old cell phones. The government and airlines use these phones in planes. The government also uses them the way that the article says, for when a cell phone isn't going to work. Say for instance when you are going to be traveling all over the world. (Yeah, Yeah, let me take my US phone to Europe, oops, what do you mean it doesn't work there.)

    I just found it surprising that they failed to mention the aviation industry, since that is who uses, sells, and produces a lot of the phones.

  3. Re:Will something PLEASE crash? by albeit+unknown · · Score: 5

    You're obviously not a Windows user.

  4. Will something PLEASE crash? by nufsaid · · Score: 5

    I can't stand waiting any more...
    The endless disappointment of Mir being
    kept in orbit...
    The on-the-edge-of-your-seat-anticipation
    waiting for dozens of satellites to crash
    and burn... only to be DENIED!

    Hurry up and crash something already...
    I'm not satisfied.

    --
    Is this the promised end? Or image of that horror? KING LEAR