Press releases. Altair Semiconductor integrates Iridium NTN Direct into ALT1350 and ALT1550 cellular IoT chipsets. MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice, data, aircraft surveillance, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite services, today announced that Altair Semiconductor, a world leader in cellular IoT chips, is integrating Iridium NTN Direct(SM) capability into Altair's ALT1350 and next-generation ALT1550 IoT chipset platforms. With terrestrial cellular IoT and Iridium satellite connectivity on a single chipset, device manufacturers, module makers and mobile network operators (MNOs) will be able to extend IoT connectivity beyond the reach of terrestrial networks through the Iridium satellite network, without adding a separate satellite modem to their designs. The partnership combines Altair's cellular IoT chipset technology, among the most highly integrated low-power connectivity solutions available, with Iridium's 3GPP standards-based non-terrestrial network (NTN) service, giving device manufacturers another chipset option for products that need connectivity beyond terrestrial cellular coverage. With the ultra-low-power ALT1350, these connectivity requirements can include asset tracking, logistics, smart metering and utilities, agriculture, vehicle telematics, industrial monitoring and remote infrastructure. With the ALT1550, these capabilities extend to a new generation of AI-powered 5G eRedCap devices, such as smart glasses, AI assistants and other wearables, that need to stay connected wherever they go. "Altair has deep experience developing highly integrated, low-power IoT solutions, and we're excited to work together to extend their reach with Iridium's truly global satellite network," said Tim Last, executive vice president, Iridium. "As a market leader in satellite IoT, Iridium is offering device manufacturers a powerful new way to develop connected products. Integrating Iridium NTN Direct into Altair's chipsets will enable solutions and applications that require reliable, low-power connectivity beyond the limits of terrestrial networks." "Adding Iridium NTN Direct to our ultra-low-power LTE-M/NB-IoT ALT1350 and 5G eRedCap ALT1550 chipsets reflects our commitment to giving customers greater flexibility in how and where their IoT devices connect," said Dima Feldman, VP Product Management and Marketing, Altair Semiconductor. "With Iridium's truly global LEO satellite connectivity alongside terrestrial cellular, device manufacturers can more easily develop solutions that will reliably work anywhere they're deployed." Iridium NTN Direct leverages Iridium's fully operational, LEO satellite constellation and globally coordinated L-band spectrum to extend standards-based connectivity beyond terrestrial networks. The service is designed to support NB-IoT and direct-to-device (D2D) applications using compatible 3GPP standards-based chipsets, providing MNOs, chipset manufacturers and device makers with a path to extend connectivity through the Iridium satellite network. Altair joins a growing ecosystem of partners bringing the Iridium NTN Direct service to market. A combination of chipmakers, module manufacturers, OEMs, device makers, and IoT developers is leading the next generation of NTN-cellular integration with Iridium NTN Direct. About Iridium Communications Inc. Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) operates the world's only truly global mobile satellite network. It serves as a platform for innovation, enabling voice, data, and messaging, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), and aircraft surveillance services anywhere on Earth. Through its satellite constellation and integrated capabilities like Aireon, the world's only space-based air traffic surveillance system, Iridium delivers services that support safety-focused operations across aviation, maritime, government, industrial, and consumer markets. The company is a leader in satellite Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and is advancing direct-to-device (D2D) communications based on open standards to expand access to satellite services. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Iridium innovates through an ecosystem of more than 500 technology and distribution partners, serving millions of customers worldwide. For more information visit www.iridium.com. Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure Statements in this press release that are not purely historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company has based these statements on its current expectations and the information currently available to Iridium Communications Inc.. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the capabilities, benefits and availability of the Iridium NTN Direct service. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "anticipates," "may," "can," "believes," "expects," "projects," "intends," "likely," "will," "to be" and other expressions that are predictions or indicate future events, trends or prospects. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Iridium to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding the timing of commercial availability of the Iridium NTN Direct service, the company's ability to maintain the health, capacity and content of its satellite constellation, general industry and economic conditions, and competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include those factors listed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 12, 2026, and the company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, filed with the SEC on July 22, 2026, as well as other filings Iridium makes with the SEC from time to time. There is no assurance that Iridium's expectations will be realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Iridium's underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected, estimated or projected. Iridium's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Iridium undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. | Press Contact: | Investor Contact: | | Jordan Hassin | Kenneth Levy | | Iridium Communications Inc. Iridium Communications Inc. | | [email protected] | [email protected] | | +1 (703) 287-7421 | +1 (703) 287-7570 | SOURCE Iridium Communications Inc. Quick Links

Furuno Electric has unveiled its SOLION-100 terminal for Iridium GMDSS, combining Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, Ship Security Alert System, and Long-Range Identification and Tracking capabilities in a single platform. The terminal uses Iridium Certus 100 technology and operates on Iridium's low-Earth orbit satellite network, providing global coverage including polar regions. Iridium GMDSS became operational in 2020 after International Maritime Organization recognition, marking the first new satellite GMDSS provider since the system's establishment. The service supports maritime safety communications from navigational warnings to distress alerts and direct voice contact with rescue coordination centres. The SOLION-100 will be available for retrofit applications in late 2026, with newbuild project availability expected in 2027. The announcement was made at SMM Hamburg in September 2026.

IRIDIUM 114: satellite of the day, 11 aug 2026. IRIDIUM 114, launched January 2017 on the first Iridium NEXT Falcon 9 mission from Vandenberg, orbits at 774 x 793 km providing L-band comms and ADS-B tracking. IRIDIUM 114 is a communications and traffic monitoring satellite operated by Iridium LLC, part of the Iridium NEXT constellation that replaced the original Iridium fleet starting in 2017. It launched on January 14, 2017, from Vandenberg Space Force Base (SLC-4E) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. This was the first Iridium NEXT launch, carrying ten satellites that began the multi-year replacement of one of the most ambitious satellite constellations ever built. Now over nine years into a ten-year design life (with a planned fifteen-year operational target), IRIDIUM 114 remains active in its near-polar orbit. The satellite provides L-band voice and data services, carries Ka-band cross-links for inter-satellite routing, and hosts secondary payloads for ADS-B aircraft tracking and AIS ship monitoring. Mission and history. The Iridium NEXT program replaced all 66 active satellites (plus spares) in the original Iridium constellation, which had been operating since the late 1990s. Iridium LLC contracted Thales Alenia Space (through Orbital ATK, now part of Northrop Grumman, as the bus manufacturer) to build 81 NEXT satellites on the ELiTeBus-1000 platform. The January 2017 inaugural launch was also a milestone for SpaceX, marking the company's return to flight after the September 2016 AMOS-6 pad explosion. IRIDIUM 114 (designated SV114) carries the standard NEXT payload suite: an L-band communications array for mobile voice and data, Ka-band inter-satellite cross-links that let the constellation route traffic without ground relays, and Ka-band gateway downlinks. The satellite also hosts an Aireon ADS-B receiver for real-time global aircraft surveillance, a capability the original constellation lacked. Some NEXT satellites additionally carry exactEarth AIS receivers for maritime vessel tracking. The satellite measures 3.1 meters long with a 1.5-meter diameter and a 9.4-meter span when its two solar arrays are deployed. Dry mass is 700 kg, with a launch mass of 860 kg. The radar cross-section of 2.44 m^2 reflects the half-hexagonal prism body and extended panel geometry typical of the NEXT design. Orbit analysis. IRIDIUM 114 operates in a near-circular low Earth orbit at roughly 774 x 793 km with an inclination of 86.39 degrees, consistent with the Iridium constellation's near-polar orbital planes. Over the past 89 days, the semi-major axis has been exceptionally stable, varying by only about 13 meters between its minimum and maximum values. The near-zero delta of -0.00008 km across the observation window indicates active station-keeping or, at minimum, negligible drag at this altitude. Inclination has drifted down by 0.0026 degrees over the same period, a small secular trend driven by gravitational perturbations (primarily the J2 oblateness effect and luni-solar forces). Eccentricity holds near 0.00133, confirming the orbit remains very close to circular. None of these trends suggest any anomaly or decommissioning activity. Photometry. IRIDIUM 114 has a mean clear-filter magnitude of 5.93 (σ = 0.5, median 6.0) with a recorded range from 1.77 to 7.55. The satellite is classified as non-variable with no detected periodicity, meaning its brightness stays relatively steady across observation passes. The occasional bright excursions down to magnitude 1.77 likely correspond to specular reflections off the solar panels at favorable sun-observer geometry, though these are far less dramatic than the infamous "Iridium flares" produced by the original constellation's door-sized main mission antennas. Photometric data from the MMT-9 (Mini-MegaTORTORA) survey. Quick facts. | Detail | Value | | NORAD ID | 41923 | | COSPAR ID | 2017-003G | | Operator | Iridium LLC | | Country | United States | | Launch Date | January 14, 2017 | | Launch Site | Vandenberg SFB, SLC-4E | | Launch Vehicle | Falcon 9 | | Mass | 860 kg (launch), 700 kg (dry) | | Orbit | 774 x 793 km, 86.39° inclination | | Purpose | Communication, traffic monitoring (ADS-B/AIS) | | Status | Active | Theodore Kruczek. Theodore 'TK' Kruczek is a radar analyst and former Air Force Major specializing in Space Operations. He is passionate about open-source projects, coding, craft beer, and writing. TK is the creator of KeepTrack.Space and has developed tools like the Orbital Object Toolkit and SignalRange.