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In May of 1997, a technology consortium launched Project Iridium, a global network of 66 low Earth orbit communications satellites. The goal was to enable a user to communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime, from point to point on the planet. Though technically successful, the project was limited overall due to high cost of usage, maintenance, and limited portability of handsets (the power consumption, hence batteries, were prohibitive).
In February of 2010, Project Iridium II launched a network of 9 satellites in an attempt to revisit and recast the objectives of the original endeavor. The advantages over the previous generation are as follows: 1. ULTRA-LOW SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT: very low cost to launch, and perfect 24 hour orbital periods just above the Earth's surface keep each satellite "local." 2. ULTRA MINIMAL FABRICATION: use of salvaged and pre-existing "bin" parts assure very low cost manufacturing and capital investment. "Low parts count" design is maintenance free and extremely reliable. 3. ZERO POWER CONSUMPTION: all satellites are self-operating and do not require any external power to interface with similarly self-operated users. 4. ULTRA SIMPLE OPERATION: system is fully functional without needing to carry around another "gadget," and UI is designed with zero learning curve (if you don't get it immediately, give up). |