Whale Wars using satellite communications

The Discovery Channel has been showing a show called Whale wars. It's about a ship called the Sea Shepherd which floats around the ocean trying to stop Fishing Ships from catching Whales. According to the website Ecorazzi, they use the Iridium Openport for communications:

"Iridium OpenPort Satellite Communications
Beyond antagonizing the Japanese whaling fleet, the Sea Shepherd are also attempting to send back immediate video and pictures of illegal whaling in the Antarctic.

One such device that allows them to do that with relative ease is an Iridium OpenPort device. Specifically created for maritime use, the OpenPort allows ships like the Ady Gil to have an "always on" connection with the outside world. Though its data speed of 128kbps is painfully slow compared to high-speed broadband, it's nonetheless a feat of engineering to upload much of anything when you're in the middle of the Antarctic Ocean.

Unlike your sometimes-'bad' cell phone signal, the Sea Shepherd will always have a way to dial home or send updates. Iridium has more than 66 satellites in space, offering pole-to-pole global coverage."

Saved by an Iridium Satellite Phone

There are many stories out there about people getting out of 'sticky' situations by using their own satellite phone. Its these type of stories that show the real use and safety of owning a satellite phone.

South Pole adventurer relieved after close call:

A lot of people worry about whether they'll be able to get reception on their mobile phone. Ottawa adventurer Meagan McGrath was more worried about the issue than most last week, as she sat alone in the Antarctic at the bottom of the crevasse she'd fallen into.

McGrath, on leave from her Canadian Forces posting in Ottawa, has resumed her solo trek to the South Pole after a close call on just the second day of her planned 45-day trek.

Monday evening she spoke to the Citizen on the same Iridium satellite phone that she said probably saved her life.

"It was pretty scary in the crevasse," she said.

McGrath fell about six meters. Her sled was on the surface, but she was able to work her way toward her backpack. Then she managed to reach up with her ski pole and make a hole in the snow.

"I was able to collapse the snow from below and make a small hole in the surface of the snow from which to call through," she said. After eight hours in the cold crevasse, rescuers were able to get her out.

She said she learned from the fall, but there are still no guarantees.

"Oh yeah, I am worried it could happen again. I mean, this is not a ride at Disneyland," she said.

Source: The Ottawa Citizen

Iridium Satellite Phone in Space

Found an article about updates of what the latest news is on the International Space Station. Was quite interesting to see that they are carrying an Iridium 9505a satellite phone.

"It was time again for the Russian Flight Engineer for recharging the Motorola Iridium-9505A satellite phone located in Soyuz TMA-16/20S (at SM aft), a monthly routine job and Maxim’s third time. [After retrieving it from its location in the spacecraft Descent Modules (BO), Maxim initiated the recharge of the lithium-ion battery, monitoring the process every 10-15 minutes as it took place. Upon completion, the phone was returned inside its SSSP Iridium kits and stowed back in the BO’s ODF (operational data files) container. The satphone accompanies returning ISS crews on Soyuz reentry & landing for contingency communications with SAR (Search-and-Rescue) personnel after touchdown (e.g., after an “undershoot” ballistic reentry, as happened during the 15S return). The Russian-developed procedure for the monthly recharging has been approved jointly by safety officials. During the procedure, the phone is left in its fire-protective fluoroplastic bag with open flap. The Iridium 9505A satphone uses the Iridium constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites to relay the landed Soyuz capsule's GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates to helicopter-borne recovery crews. The older Iridium-9505 phones were first put onboard Soyuz in August 2003. The newer 9505A phone, currently in use, delivers 30 hours of standby time and three hours of talk, up from 20 and two hours, respectively, on the older units.]"

Source: Spaceref