[KarlInOhio]

It should be pretty easy for the guys at Space Command to tell if the Russians made a change in orbit. I don't know how much the Iridium can change its orbit, but unless there is evidence otherwise it looks like the Iridium will be cited.

[plsvn]

I don't know how much the Iridium can change its orbit, but unless there is evidence otherwise it looks like the Iridium will be cited.

Each Iridium orbital plane has a "spare" satellite in it that is in a slightly different orbit (in orbital height) so it it constantly "lapping" all the other members in the plane. This is how they replace a bad satellite with the spare. They move the bad one out of its location and wait for the spare to eventually get close to where other maneuvers can place it in its new operational location within the plane. So the answer is they can be moved. I'm surprised the Iridium managers didn't have a better handle on the potential for collision.

[Melchior]

Precisely. Whose orbit decayed or was changed. Wouldn’t you think NASA would know? Naaah, they are to busy playing the global warming gambit.