IRIDIUM 49 is a communication satellite launched on December 20, 1997, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex 2W using the Delta 7920-10C launch vehicle. The spacecraft has dimensions of 3.5 meters in length and 1 meter in diameter with a span of 5 meters due to its solar arrays. It was manufactured by MOTO/LMMS based on the LM-700A configuration for the US owner, IRID. With a dry mass of 556 kg and a launch mass of 662 kg, it carries a payload known as Iridium SV049. The satellite is equipped with two deployable solar arrays and batteries to provide power. It has an expected lifetime of 8 years and operates in a communication capacity. Its shape consists of a box structure with two panels.