Iridium
Satellite phone constellation, went bankrupt 1999
Episodes
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#5555: Five Machines That Peaked at the Wrong MomentConcorde, Buran, Iridium: the finest machines ever built for a paradigm that vanished while they were still on the drawing board. -
#3622: How OSINT Spots Electronic WarfareHow hobbyists track GPS jamming, radar ghosts, and the hidden signals of modern conflict. -
#2097: The Invisible Cloak: Frequency Hopping and Burst TransmissionForget just encrypting data—learn why hopping frequencies and bursting signals are the real secrets to staying invisible and alive. -
#1978: The Ingenious Fail-Safe Engineering of Emergency BeaconsFrom 98% false alarms to pinpoint rescue: how a tiny plastic device saves lives across oceans and mountains. -
#668: The Hidden Bureaucracy of the SkyDiscover the invisible borders of the sky, from the physics of the Karman Line to the hidden fees airlines pay to cross national airspace. -
#178: The Skywave Secret: Why Aviation Can’t Quit HF RadioWhy do pilots still use scratchy 1940s radio in the age of Starlink? Explore the resilient world of oceanic communication and skywave physics.