Next Iridium Next Launch Set for June 29

The first set of Iridium's Next satellites were integrated into the company's first-generation constellation to be used for purposes including broadband, it said in a news release Tuesday: There have been three individual slot swaps and two dual slot swaps of Next satellites replacing first-gen satellites, with two Next satellites still drifting to their assigned orbital planes. The company said the second payload of 10 Next satellites is scheduled to launch June 29 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, with 75 satellites to be launched in eight launches by the time the constellation is complete in mid-2018.