SpaceX and Iridium Sign $492M Launch Contract

FleaPlus writes "Following up on the successful first launch of their Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX has signed a $492M deal for launching several dozen satellites for the Iridium NEXT constellation, the biggest commercial launch deal ever (teleconference notes). This is a needed boost for the US launch industry, which has dwindled to a fraction of the international market due to problematic ITAR arms regulations and high costs. SpaceX's next launch is scheduled for later this summer, carrying the first full version of the Dragon reusable capsule, which will run tests in orbit and then splash down off the California coast."

Comments

Re:Good

[Ana10g]

Here's three:

Rockets first:

• Titan
• Atlas
• Delta

Next, Launch Capabilities:

• United Launch Alliance

I don't know if LM or Boeing still provide launch services outside of the scope of ULA.

Re:What about junk?

[khallow]

Maybe it's time for thinking about mandatory destruction of satellites at the end of their useful life

Already done. Everything up there aside from a few nuclear powered Soviet satellites has a plan for coming down (such as stuff in LEO which can reenter Earth's atmosphere without much difficulty) or getting boosted to a more remote orbit (such as stuff in geostationary orbit).