[Satellite TODAY 03-17-11] EMS Technologies’ Defense and Space Division has been contracted by Iridium’s prime contractor Thales Alenia Space to provide L-band communications hardware for the Iridium Next constellation, EMS announced March 16.
    The five-year production award will see EMS provide Iridium Next’s fast switch matrix system. EMS said it would ramp up its manufacturing process to meet Iridium’s critical hardware delivery schedules and aggressive launch timetable.
    The Iridium Next launch is expected to begin in 2015. Upon completion of the project, Iridium Next aims to support L-band data speeds of 1.5 megabits per second and a capacity of up to three million subscribers.