Wayne T. Hally wrote: << My biggest beef in satellite-land is the Iridium flares, since they resemble what is a rare meteoric event- the point meteor (one coming directly at you...hence no motion). Can someone tell me when they were first launched? >> The first three Iridiums were launched May 5, 1997 from Vandenberg AFB, California. I watched the launch from about 6 miles away. Jake Rees Burbank, Calif.