IRIDIUM 63

Satellite information

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Satellite Type and Status

PAYLOADIN ORBIT

Key statistics

Satellite IRIDIUM 63 at a glance.

Uptime

10006

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: 100.237 minutes

Inclination: 86.3948 deg

SMA: 7147.92 km

Apoapsis: 771.411 km

Periapsis: 768.159 km

RAAN: 51.6039 deg

Eccentricy: 0.00022747

Argument of periapsis: 86.808 deg

Mean anomaly: 273.3377 deg

Mean motion: 14.365912 rev/day

Mean motion (dot): 0.00000565 rev/day2

B* drag term: 0.00018555852 1/REarth

Two-line elements (TLE)

Creation date: Aug. 29, 2025, 2:15 a.m.

Reference frame: TEME

Reference center: EARTH

Epoch: Aug. 28, 2025, 9:34 p.m. UTC

TLE line 0: 0 IRIDIUM 63

TLE line 1: 1 25286U 98021B 25240.89883522 .00000565 00000-0 18556-3 0 9995

TLE line 2: 2 25286 86.3948 51.6039 0002275 86.8080 273.3377 14.36591200434287

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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