A date has been set for the eighth and final launch of a set of Iridium NEXT satellites.
The launch is scheduled for 8:38 a.m. on December 30 at Vandenberg Air Force Base. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will carry the satellites into orbit.
In January 2017, the Iridium company began a campaign to replace its entire network of communication satellites with 75 new satellites.
Iridium-8 will complete that mission, but it’s cutting it close to the company’s goal of getting all of the new satellites into space by the end of this year.
It’s taken awhile, but finally have a schedule for the final launch #8 of Iridium NEXT! 8:38am pst on December 30th – we’ll have the satellites, SpaceX assures us the flight proven rocket will be ready, and VAFB is ready to ring in the New Year with us! #ThePartyWillBeEpic pic.twitter.com/vQPPeSKm0P
— Matt Desch (@IridiumBoss) October 18, 2018
The seventh and most recent Iridium launch occurred on July 25, 2018.
YOU CAN HELP CREATE A LAUNCH SOUNDTRACK
Iridium-7 was the first time the company released a custom Spotify playlist to coincide with the launch. It included songs by AC/DC, Elvis Presley, Demi Lovato, and others and was intended to reflect what viewers of the launch webcast were seeing.
For the Iridium-8 launch, the company is taking suggestions from the public as it builds its next playlist.
There are some guidelines. Suggested songs should:
- Avoid profanity, explicit lyrics or graphic language
- Avoid clichés (i.e., Rocketman)
- Relate to either what is being viewed on screen, the “Iridium story” or their business
- Represent a broad/diverse array of music/artists/bands
- Serve as an ode to a relevant person, place or event
- Represent some level of irony if they don’t fit in the other categories
- Not have been used in the Launch 7 playlist. Click here to see the Iridium-7 soundtrack
Iridium says it will allow one exception to the “avoid clichés” rule.
To submit your ideas, click here.
