iridium 77 is a part of a space-based communications system called iridium. conceived, designed, and built by motorola, the iridium system provides wireless, mobile communications through a network of 66 satellites in polar, low-earth orbits. inaugurated in november 1998, under the auspices of iridium llc, this complex space system allowed callers using hand-held mobile phones and pagers to communicate anywhere in the world—a first in the history of telephony.