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Satellites›Iridium

The Iridium satellites

Iridium is a satellite phone network: 66 working satellites in six rings over the poles, about 780 km up, with spares flying alongside. The 80 here are its second generation, launched from 2017.

The whole network, right now

Every dot is one Iridium satellite, where it is this second: six rings of them that pass over the poles, so that one is always in reach of any phone. Drag the globe to turn it, pinch or use the buttons to come closer. Fast forward runs a minute of their flight every second.

Finding the Iridium satellites…

Where they fly

Of the 80 whose orbit we have today, 74 fly at these heights above the ground, to the nearest 10 km. 5 are below the lowest of them: newly launched ones still climbing, and old ones on their way down.

HeightSatellites
780 km67
750 km7

All 80, with their orbits

Each name leads to that satellite’s page: what it is, its orbit in full, and a live 3D globe and map of where it is now.

SatelliteLaunchedHeightTiltOne lapAt its brightest
IRIDIUM 100Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 102Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +7.7
IRIDIUM 103Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 min
IRIDIUM 104Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +7.6
IRIDIUM 105Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 min
IRIDIUM 106Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +7.6
IRIDIUM 107Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 108Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 min
IRIDIUM 109Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +7.6
IRIDIUM 110May 22, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 111Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +7.7
IRIDIUM 112Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +7.7
IRIDIUM 113Jun 25, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 114Jan 14, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +7.7
IRIDIUM 115Jun 25, 2017748 km86.4°99.8 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 116Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 117Jun 25, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 118Jun 25, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 119Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 120Jun 25, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 121Jun 25, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 122Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 123Jun 25, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 124Jun 25, 2017748 km86.5°99.8 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 125Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 126Jun 25, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 128Jun 25, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 129Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 130Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 131Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 132Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 133Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 134Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 135Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 136Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 137Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 138Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 139Oct 9, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 140Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 141Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 142Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 143Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 144Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 145Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 146Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 147May 22, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 148Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 149Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 150Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 151Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 152May 22, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 153Dec 23, 2017778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 154Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 155Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 156Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 157Mar 30, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 158Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 159Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 160Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 161May 22, 2018748 km86.5°99.8 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 162May 22, 2018748 km86.5°99.8 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 163Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 164Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 165Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 166Jul 25, 2018778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 167Jan 11, 2019778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 168Jan 11, 2019778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 169Jan 11, 2019764 km86.4°100.1 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 170Jan 11, 2019654 km86.6°97.8 minmag +5.6
IRIDIUM 171Jan 11, 2019778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 172Jan 11, 2019778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 173Jan 11, 2019778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 174May 20, 2023654 km86.6°97.8 minmag +5.6
IRIDIUM 175Jan 11, 2019747 km86.5°99.7 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 176Jan 11, 2019654 km86.6°97.8 minmag +5.6
IRIDIUM 177May 20, 2023747 km86.4°99.7 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 178May 20, 2023630 km86.7°97.3 minmag +5.5
IRIDIUM 179May 20, 2023629 km86.7°97.3 minmag +5.5
IRIDIUM 180Jan 11, 2019778 km86.4°100.4 minmag +5.9
IRIDIUM 181May 20, 2023748 km86.5°99.8 minmag +5.9

What happened to Iridium flares

The first generation of Iridium satellites was famous for its flares: a few seconds of sunlight off a door-sized antenna, bright enough to outshine Venus, at a time and place that could be predicted to the second. Most of those satellites have since been taken out of orbit. The satellites that replaced them are a different shape and do not flare in the same way.

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Other satellites

2

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The two crewed stations in orbit, and what is docked to them today.

154

Brightest satellites

The satellites and spent rocket stages you can see without a telescope.

11,192

Starlink

How many are up, where they fly, and what went up this month.

73

Weather satellites

The satellites behind the forecast, in low orbit and over the equator.

546

Geostationary satellites

The ring of satellites that hang over one spot, in order around the Earth.

95

Amateur radio satellites

The satellites radio amateurs talk through.

654

OneWeb

The other internet constellation, in a much higher orbit.

206

New in orbit

Everything launched in the last thirty days.

From CelesTrak’s orbit data and satellite catalogue, which lists launches up to November 11, 2026. Page updated November 14, 2026.