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Motorola Satellite Communications Group today donated one of the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites it designed and manufactured for the Iridium® system to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. This is the first commercial satellite accepted into the museum's permanent collection. The museum is considering display of the newly donated satellite in the "Beyond the Limits" gallery.
"Motorola has made history with the design and development of the Iridium system," said Museum Director Donald D. Engen. "This satellite embodies the ingenuity and innovation of new technology that has revolutionized the satellite communications industry."
"Motorola is proud of the opportunity to contribute to a museum that houses one of the greatest collections of the world's modern technological achievements," said Christopher B. Galvin, Motorola chief executive officer. "A decade ago, few people imagined the possibility of a digital portable telephone experience on virtually every square meter of the Earth. But today, this Motorola satellite built for the Iridium system joins the amazing artifacts that have transformed the way we explore our worlds."
Introduction of the LEO satellites signaled the increasing use of space to serve markets and individuals. Commercial ventures may now play as significant a role in the development of space as government-sponsored exploration or national security programs. This change, as exemplified by the Iridium system, has fostered innovations in satellite design and manufacture to meet the special demands of a commercial undertaking. Its innovations included:
- A design enabling the satellite system to work in concert with, or handle calls independently of, ground-based telephone networks
- Processing and routing of calls on-board the satellite rather than on the ground
- The first commercial use of inter-satellite links, allowing satellite-to-satellite communication -- essential for global coverage and independence from ground networks
- Streamlining production through assembly-line methods of production and new concepts for pre-flight testing. These innovations changed forty years of government and industry practice, reducing the time required to manufacture a satellite from a standard of months and years to 25 days
- Launching the complete constellation of 72 satellites from three countries -- in just 12 months and 12 days (May 5, 1997 to May 17, 1998)
- The Iridium system's unique ground infrastructure, which includes 12 gateways located in 11 countries around the globe. The entire Iridium system network was integrated in only six months.
The National Air and Space Museum is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. The museum is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Closed December 25.) Admission is free.
Iridium is a registered trademark and service mark of Iridium LLC 1998
