Get inspired by this Museum of Failure!
The newly opened 'Museum of Failure' in Sweden on failed innovations is a lesson in embracing your errors
Curated By: Madhu Kapparath
Iridium
1998-1999
Along with Motorola, Iridium created an enormous satellite infrastructure for a new global telephone network. A total of 66 satellites were required at a cost of $5 billion. The system that was developed in the mid 1980s, however, was already outdated when the phone was launched more than ten years later. The first phones were heavy and impractical, and the technology suffered from technical issues. The phones also could not be used inside buildings, cars or in big cities. On top of all of this, they were very expensive. The company folded a year later, one of the largest bankruptcies in US history. The satellites are still in orbit, and today the phones are mainly used in the maritime industry.
1998-1999
Along with Motorola, Iridium created an enormous satellite infrastructure for a new global telephone network. A total of 66 satellites were required at a cost of $5 billion. The system that was developed in the mid 1980s, however, was already outdated when the phone was launched more than ten years later. The first phones were heavy and impractical, and the technology suffered from technical issues. The phones also could not be used inside buildings, cars or in big cities. On top of all of this, they were very expensive. The company folded a year later, one of the largest bankruptcies in US history. The satellites are still in orbit, and today the phones are mainly used in the maritime industry.
