In September 2003, Iridium 82 replaced Iridium 38 in the operational constellation
Up to and including September 13, 2003, Iridium 82 was one of the spares for orbital plane 6, in the lower orbit normal for spares:
IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03256.55538426 .00000141 00000-0 27916-4 0 2179 2 25467 86.5193 322.0347 0002244 72.0239 288.1216 14.54938349266286 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03256.83048828 +.00000083 +00000-0 +14370-4 0 02289 2 25467 086.5187 321.9194 0002211 073.1975 286.9533 14.54938582266322
Iridium 82 was then raised toward the operational orbit, evidently to occupy the slot previously occupied by Iridium 38.
IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03257.38069343 -.04380318 00000-0 -13180+1 0 2186 2 25467 86.4973 321.6959 0001278 77.4219 274.8400 14.48226474266401 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03257.52046810 -.04326203 00000-0 -13382+1 0 2194 2 25467 86.4960 321.6372 0000965 67.5238 292.5964 14.46802375266421 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03257.86674812 -.04238439 00000-0 -14051+1 0 2209 2 25467 86.4778 321.4863 0003745 73.6969 286.4548 14.43260405266473 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03257.93611933 -.04246631 +00000-0 -14293+1 0 02258 2 25467 086.4636 321.4624 0005375 076.1405 284.0352 14.42511663266487 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03258.21384491 -.04065197 00000-0 -14339+1 0 2219 2 25467 86.4628 321.3488 0005352 75.0133 285.1657 14.39932421266526 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03258.49204028 -.03861924 00000-0 -14214+1 0 2220 2 25467 86.4493 321.2268 0005163 88.6957 271.4964 14.37523750266567 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03259.60924828 .00000301 00000-0 10000-3 0 2233 2 25467 86.3864 320.7511 0010213 147.3080 219.3157 14.34370943266729 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03259.67776133 .00000303 00000-0 10000-3 0 2247 2 25467 86.3846 320.7306 0006750 102.9450 257.2565 14.34794246266731 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03260.58467968 -.00689246 00000-0 00000+0 0 2258 2 25467 86.3837 320.3504 0013857 72.4318 290.9837 14.34924756266857 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03260.58468042 -.00676192 00000-0 00000+0 0 2269 2 25467 86.3837 320.3501 0015303 87.6803 275.6708 14.34921477266853
By September 17, 2003, Iridium 82 had more or less arrived on station, and was having fine adjustments made to its orbit:
IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03260.72386752 -.00030972 00000-0 -11109-1 0 2278 2 25467 86.3840 320.2892 0004956 108.6173 249.8927 14.34251826266888 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03261.21255775 -.00025253 00000-0 -90546-2 0 2283 2 25467 86.3854 320.0838 0004679 109.3479 250.8222 14.34234353266954 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03262.53816494 -.00014780 00000-0 -52989-2 0 2293 2 25467 86.3885 319.5294 0004499 105.5405 254.6288 14.34192107267140 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03262.88700854 -.00006897 00000-0 -24732-2 0 2300 2 25467 86.3880 319.3818 0004466 110.7918 249.3898 14.34200735267196 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03262.95677495 -.00006111 +00000-0 -21919-2 0 02327 2 25467 086.3883 319.3525 0004448 110.6489 249.5209 14.34201517267205 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03263.51492440 -.00001640 00000-0 -59301-3 0 2313 2 25467 86.3888 319.1190 0004658 111.9556 248.2199 14.34207379267282 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03263.79399667 +.00000241 +00000-0 +78862-4 0 02431 2 25467 086.3892 319.0027 0004797 110.6340 249.5374 14.34211844267322 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03264.21260786 .00001118 00000-0 39216-3 0 2329 2 25467 86.3894 318.8278 0004602 107.1069 253.0626 14.34215000267387 IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03264.91029390 +.00001226 +00000-0 +43060-3 0 02478 2 25467 086.3895 318.5356 0004689 105.8069 254.3646 14.34216919267489
Fine adjustments continued over the next few days. It looks as if there may have been some difficulty getting Iridium 82 accurately on station. Its orbit remains slightly more eccentric that the rest of the operational constellation.
On October 7, an elest appeared which showed Iridium 82 in an an orbit about 10km below, and somewhat more eccentric than, the operational orbit:
IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03280.46862331 .00168483 00000-0 59459-1 0 2450 2 25467 86.3953 312.0281 0010866 102.7867 258.1314 14.34767939269711
However, subsequent elsets show as it as still on station, so the above elset must be dismissed as the product of a glitch in the system. It does not appear to relate to any other object.
IRIDIUM 82 1 25467U 98051A 03280.81753489 .00000293 00000-0 97648-4 0 2462 2 25467 86.3874 311.8727 0004734 70.9443 289.2276 14.34218691269761
Iridium 38 seems to have been slowly losing altitude since around the beginning of August 2003. However, this decay was so gradual that it had only drifted ahead of its nominal position, at the time Iridium 82, took over by about 30 seconds (increasing by around 1 second per day).
IRIDIUM 38 1 25043U 97069E 03210.83971462 .00000103 00000-0 29552-4 0 1297 2 25043 86.3971 341.0906 0002135 84.1867 275.9580 14.34217372299479 IRIDIUM 38 1 25043U 97069E 03263.23549713 .00000172 00000-0 54376-4 0 1994 2 25043 86.3964 319.2066 0002482 72.2761 287.8703 14.34237049306988
Probably Iridium 38 had remained operational from the communications point of view, though unable to maintain its precise position in the constellation.