Iridium's constellation consists of 66 active satellites and 13 in-orbit spares, which Iridium can quickly activate in the event of any satellite outages.

Iridium's initial satellites launched in 1997-1998, and commenced worldwide service in 1998. Iridium placed seven additional spares into orbit in 2002 to ensure long-term uninterrupted service.

In the last two years, Iridium and its industry partners have implemented a number of operational enhancements that remove dependency on high-wear components, thus increasing the satellite lifespan.

As a result, third party engineering analysis, supported by the continued excellent on-orbit performance of the satellites, indicates that the existing constellation is viable through 2014 without the need for any additional launches.

Dannie Stamp, chief of operations, Iridium Satellite, said, "This is a significant milestone, which no other satellite system has achieved.

"It is a testimony to the outstanding engineering in the original Iridium satellite designs, and the extraordinary work our industry partners have done to develop hardware and software improvements. This combined results in extended lifespans beyond original design expectations."

The Boeing Company operates the satellite network under a long-term contract with Iridium Satellite.

Carmen Lloyd, chairman and CEO of Iridium Satellite, said, "The robust design and reliable performance of the satellites are largely responsible for the rapid growth experienced by Iridium during the past two years.

"Our service providers, third-party integrators and customers have learned that Iridium is a dependable service providing global low-latency data and voice communications for users with the most demanding communication requirements."

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