[Satellite Today – 2-7-08] Iridium Satellite has upgraded the satellite phones used by Russian cosmonauts at the International Space Station, the company announced Feb. 7.
    Russian authorities are replacing the older 9505 Iridium handsets, which have been in service since 2003, with new-generation 9505A units. 
    “The Iridium phones provide a critical safety link for communicating with the returning cosmonauts,” Greg Ewert, executive vice president of Iridium Satellite, said in a statement. “The Soyuz descent vehicles often land in very remote regions of Russia which are not covered by terrestrial telecommunication networks. The Iridium phone, coupled with a GPS receiver, helps the search and rescue teams locate and recover the spacecraft and crew without delay.”