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The launch of more Iridium Next sats is actually in progress over at Spacex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_0GgKfwCSk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_0GgK

• jonas21 8y ago
  Why is this getting downvoted? These are the reason for the end of the Iridium flares, and they're being deployed live on that video feed right now.
• garmaine 8y ago
  Which will not flare.
  • SimonPStevens 8y ago
    Whats the reason for this? What is it about a satellite that causes it to produce flares that the new ones don't have. (I always thought flares were sunlight reflections off solar panels. Is it that the new ones have less panels? Or is it about positioning?)
    • ascorbic 8y ago
      Iridium flares are reflections from the antennas, not solar panels. The new satellites have a different antenna arrangement which doesn't flare.
      • saagarjha 8y ago
        Having a solar panel that flares seems like an easy way to get an inefficient solar panel…
        • garmaine 8y ago
          Not sure why you’re down voted. That’s a critical part of the answer.
    • InclinedPlane 8y ago
      The original Iridium satellites had large metal panels (which contained the phased array antennae) that were at a bit of an angle to the ground, this made it possible for reflected sunlight to hit the Earth, causing a "flare" for whoever happened to be in that beam. The Iridium NEXT satellites have an antenna panel that is much closer to parallel to the surface of the Earth, so any reflected sunlight beams will pass at a glancing angle and won't intersect the Earth.