Photos: Third Batch of Iridium-NEXT Satellites Prepares for Launch

The ten satellites for Iridium-NEXT Flight 3 complete final processing for liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the continued effort to fully replace the Iridium communications satellite constellation. Iridium L3 is the third Iridium-NEXT launch in 2017 with one more planned before the end of the year and another four in the first half of 2018 to complete the $3 billion replacement effort.

All Photos: Iridium Communications