---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001418819-26-000053"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "IRDM"
cik: "0001418819"
company_name: "Iridium Communications Inc."
filed_at: "2026-10-20T11:01:13+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-10-20T11:05:08.479819+00:00"
event_type: "earnings"
sentiment: "positive"
materiality_score: 0.75
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.75
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Iridium Q3 revenue $245.7M, up 8%; EPS $0.98 on $103.9M Aireon gain; Rocket Lab deal approved

## Summary
- Revenue $245.7M (+8% YoY); service revenue +13% and 76% of total; net income $106.9M ($0.98 diluted) vs $37.1M ($0.35), aided by $103.9M Aireon gain.
- OEBITDA $135.6M vs $136.6M prior year, partly on $4.5M higher expense from paying annual incentive comp solely in cash. Subscribers 2,696,000, +6% YoY led by commercial IoT.
- Commercial service revenue $159.9M (+16%); hosted payload/other data +$22.7M (+121%) on Aireon. Government service $27.6M (+2%); equipment $19.0M vs $21.5M.
- Aireon acquisition closed July 2, 2026; assumed $154.7M credit facility due Oct 10, 2028 and $183.4M non-interest seller note. Net leverage 4.2x; net debt $2.1B.
- Rocket Lab (RKLB) deal approved by 99.6% of votes cast (81.4% of outstanding) on Sept 24; close seen mid-2027. Q3 dividend $0.15 paid; Q4 rises to $0.16.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001418819-26-000053
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: IRDM
- cik: 0001418819
- company_name: Iridium Communications Inc.
- filed_at: 2026-10-20T11:01:13+00:00
- event_type: earnings
- sentiment: positive
- materiality_score: 0.75
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.75
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 2.02, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1418819/000141881926000053/0001418819-26-000053-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1418819/000141881926000053/irdm-20261020.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001418819-26-000053
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001418819-26-000053.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001418819-26-000053.txt

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.