Iridium Communication was awarded a research and development contract worth up to US$30 million by the United States Army on 24 June 2021. This contract is to develop a new payload, based on Iridium Burst® technology, to be hosted on small satellites supporting navigation systems, guidance and control for the GPS and GPS-denied precision systems.
This new experimental Iridium payload is intended to be hosted by another LEO commercial satellite constellation, complementing Iridium existing constellation’s capabilities.
With this contract the US Army intends to develop this new payload to support the concept of rapid deployment of small satellite constellations. Utilising Iridium Burst® technology means the Army can transmit data to millions of enabled devices at a time from space to the soldier in the field, enhancing the effectiveness of military units, weapons, and equipment.
