IRIDIUM 63

Satellite information

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Satellite Type and Status

PAYLOADIN ORBIT

Key statistics

Satellite IRIDIUM 63 at a glance.

Uptime

9952

Days in orbit

Revolutions

≈ 14.4

Per day

Orbit

LEO

Low Earth Orbit

Inclination

86.4

Latest

Satellite identification and parameters

Extended collection of information and parameters for IRIDIUM 63.

Object identification

Identified? True

Debris? False

Object name: IRIDIUM 63

International designator: 1998-021B

Object number (NORAD): 25286

Object ID (CCSDS): 25286

Country: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (US)

Current information (Y/N): Y

RCS size: LARGE

Orbital parameters

Period: 100.24 minutes

Inclination: 86.3965 deg

SMA: 7148.036 km

Apoapsis: 771.378 km

Periapsis: 768.425 km

RAAN: 74.5376 deg

Eccentricy: 0.0002066

Argument of periapsis: 89.1947 deg

Mean anomaly: 270.9487 deg

Mean motion: 14.36556258 rev/day

Mean motion (dot): 0.00000269 rev/day2

B* drag term: 0.00008492 1/REarth

Two-line elements (TLE)

Creation date: July 5, 2025, 5:45 p.m.

Reference frame: TEME

Reference center: EARTH

Epoch: July 5, 2025, 6:57 a.m. UTC

TLE line 0: 0 IRIDIUM 63

TLE line 1: 1 25286U 98021B 25186.28989237 .00000269 00000-0 84920-4 0 9997

TLE line 2: 2 25286 86.3965 74.5376 0002066 89.1947 270.9487 14.36556258426448

Live tracking on map

Real-time ground track for satellite IRIDIUM 63.

In-orbit conjunctions

A list of the most updated potential collisions computed for object IRIDIUM 63.

Target Orbit TCA Probability of collision Miss distance Type
FENGYUN 1C DEB SSO 2025-07-01 04:00:16 0.0006950139 178.0 (m) DEBRIS
COSMOS 1110 LEO 2025-06-29 16:52:40 0.0001229858 445.0 (m) PAYLOAD
NOAA 16 DEB SSO 2025-06-04 20:42:57 0.0003980054 100.0 (m) DEBRIS
CZ-6A DEB SSO 2025-03-06 00:54:24 0.0002777574 268.0 (m) DEBRIS
CZ-6A DEB SSO 2024-11-28 08:44:46 0.0003215233 433.0 (m) DEBRIS

Associated space launch

Iridium provides global mobile telecommunications services using a constellation of 66 low earth orbit satellites in a 86.4° inclined orbit. Although 77 satellites were originally envisioned for the system and spawned the name based on the 77th element in the periodic table, the system has been scaled back. Motorola's Satellite Communications Group designed and manufactured the Iridium satellites with Lockheed Martin providing the LM-700A spacecraft buses.

IRIDIUM 63 was lifted into orbit during the mission ‘Proton-K/17S40 | Iridium 62 to 68’, on board a Proton-K/17S40 space rocket.

The launch took place on April 7, 1998, 2:13 a.m. from 81/23 (81L).

For more information about the launch, click the button.

Launch to space Proton-K/17S40 | Iridium 62 to 68
Proton-K/17S40 | Iridium 62 to 68

Agency: N/A

Status: Launch Successful

Launch date: April 7, 1998, 2:13 a.m. UTC

Rocket: Proton-K/17S40

Launch pad: 81/23 (81L)

Location: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

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