Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual) | Jul. 26, 2017USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2013USD ($)LaunchSatellite | Mar. 31, 2010USD ($)Launch | Nov. 30, 2016USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2015Launch | Jun. 30, 2010USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2017USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2016USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2017USD ($)Satellite | Jun. 30, 2016USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016USD ($) | Oct. 31, 2010USD ($) |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Guarantee amount | | | | | | | $ 1,000,000 | | $ 1,000,000 | | | |
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity | | | | | | | 1,800,000,000 | | 1,800,000,000 | | | $ 1,800,000,000 |
Credit facility, net | | | | | | | 1,688,420,000 | | 1,688,420,000 | | $ 1,657,145,000 | |
Deferred financing costs | | | | | | | 111,600,000 | | 111,600,000 | | | |
Credit facility | | | | | | | 1,800,000,000 | | 1,800,000,000 | | | |
Minimum required cash reserve balance for credit facility | | | | | | | | | 135,000,000 | | | |
Credit facility, interest expense | | | | | | | 21,600,000 | $ 19,000,000 | 42,800,000 | $ 37,200,000 | | |
Syndicate of Bank Lenders Credit Facility [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Credit facility delays DSRA contributions | | | | | | | 54,000,000 | | 54,000,000 | | | |
Refund amount contributed to DSRA | | | | | | | 33,000,000 | | 33,000,000 | | | |
Additional refund amount contributed to DSRA | | | | | | | 11,000,000 | | $ 11,000,000 | | | |
Description of covenant terms | | | | | | | | | The Credit Facility also requires that the Company establish a new restricted account to receive payment of hosting fees from Aireon. Hosting fees up to $50.0 million would be placed in the restricted account, which the Company could access based on the same $35.0 million three-month forward-looking Available Cash threshold described above. | | | |
Syndicate of Bank Lenders Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Projected available cash on three-month forward-looking basis | | | | | | | 35,000,000 | | $ 35,000,000 | | | |
Syndicate of Bank Lenders Credit Facility [Member] | Aireon LLC [Member] | Maximum [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Hosting fees required to be placed in restricted account | | | | | | | 50,000,000 | | $ 50,000,000 | | | |
Syndicate of Bank Lenders Credit Facility [Member] | Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock [Member] | Aireon LLC [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Temporary suspension of dividend payments, term | | | | | | | | | 15 months | | | |
Eighth Launch with SpaceX [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Number of additional satellites to launch | Satellite | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | |
Bills of Exchange [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Debt instrument face amount | | | | | | | $ 100,000,000 | | $ 100,000,000 | | | |
Debt instrument interest rate | | | | | | | 1.62% | | 1.62% | | | |
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate | | | | | | | | | 1.40% | | | |
Thales Alenia Space France [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Commitments Price For Design and Build Of Satellites | | | | | | $ 2,300,000,000 | | | | | | |
Contract aggregate payment | | | | | | | $ 1,826,800,000 | | $ 1,826,800,000 | | | |
Borrowings under credit facility | | | | | | | 1,511,400,000 | | $ 1,511,400,000 | | | |
Credit facility, description | | | | | | | | | The Credit Facility was fully drawn in February 2017. Prior to the Credit Facility being fully drawn, the Company used the Credit Facility to pay 85% of each invoice received from Thales under the FSD, with the remaining 15% funded from cash on hand. The Company currently pays 100% of each invoice received from Thales from cash and marketable securities on hand or the issuance of a bill of exchange, a French law instrument of indebtedness similar to a promissory note. | | | |
Percentage of invoice paid by credit facility | | | | | | | | | 85.00% | | | |
Percentage of invoice paid by cash | | | | | | | | | 15.00% | | | |
Expected percentage of invoice paid by cash and marketable securities | | | | | | | | | 100.00% | | | |
Contractual Obligation, Due in Next Twelve Months | | | | | | | 323,200,000 | | $ 323,200,000 | | | |
Contractual Obligation, Due in Second Year | | | | | | | 104,600,000 | | $ 104,600,000 | | | |
Thales Alenia Space France [Member] | Syndicate of Bank Lenders Credit Facility [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Description of utilization of hosting fees | | | | | | | | | Aireon hosting fees received in excess of the first $50 million would be distributed pro rata to replenish the DSRA and secure the Thales bills of exchange, as described above. | | | |
Thales Alenia Space France [Member] | Promissory Note [Member] | Syndicate of Bank Lenders Credit Facility [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Debt instrument face amount | | | | | | | 189,000,000 | | $ 189,000,000 | | | |
Thales Alenia Space France [Member] | Subsequent Event | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Commitments amendment agreement description | Under Amendment 28, the Company agreed with Thales that liquidated damages for Thales production delays to date would be set at $30.0 million, with this amount to be used only to offset costs otherwise payable by the Company to Thales under the FSD with respect to past and future delays to the launch schedule from causes other than Thales, at agreed upon rates. Any portion of the $30.0 million remaining at the completion of the launch campaign will be forgiven. Liquidated damages owed to the Company from any future delays caused by Thales would remain payable in cash. Similarly, costs payable by the Company to Thales for non-Thales delays exceeding the $30.0 million would be payable in cash. | | | | | | | | | | | |
Liquidated damages | $ 30,000 | | | | | | | | | | | |
Space Exploration Technologies Corp [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Contract aggregate payment | | | | | | | 420,400,000 | | 420,400,000 | | | |
Contractual Obligation, Due in Next Twelve Months | | | | | | | 101,200,000 | | 101,200,000 | | | |
Contractual Obligation, Due in Second Year | | | | | | | 14,400,000 | | 14,400,000 | | | |
Refundable deposit paid for additional future launches | | | | | | | | | $ 1,500,000 | | | |
Space Exploration Technologies Corp [Member] | One to Seven Launch with SpaceX [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Number of launches for agreement | Launch | | | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
Maximum Commitments Amount | | | $ 468,100,000 | | | | | | | | | |
Space Exploration Technologies Corp [Member] | SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Number of satellites carried to orbit for each of initial seven launches | Satellite | | | | | | | | | 10 | | | |
Space Exploration Technologies Corp [Member] | Eighth Launch with SpaceX [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Commitments price for launching of additional satellites | | | | $ 67,900,000 | | | | | | | | |
Space Exploration Technologies Corp [Member] | GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences [Member] | Eighth Launch with SpaceX [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Payment due from related party to share the launch services | | | | $ 31,800,000 | | | | | | | | |
Cash received from related party | | | | | | | | | $ 22,900,000 | | | |
Space Exploration Technologies Corp [Member] | GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences [Member] | Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On Satellites [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Number of satellites to launch | Satellite | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | |
Kosmotras [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Contract aggregate payment | | | | | | | 36,800,000 | | $ 36,800,000 | | | |
Contractual Obligation, Due in Second Year | | | | | | | 15,000,000 | | 15,000,000 | | | |
Number of launch option exercised | Launch | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
Number of Satellites to carry under exercised option | Satellite | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
Total contract amount | | $ 51,800,000 | | | | | | | | | | |
Maximum number of dedicated launches purchased | Launch | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | |
Iridium NEXT Launch and In-Orbit Insurance [Member] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Purchase Commitment Excluding Longterm Commitment [Line Items] | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Contract aggregate payment | | | | | | | 48,900,000 | | $ 48,900,000 | | | |
Credit facility, description | | | | | | | | | The Credit Facility requires the Company to obtain insurance covering the launch and first 12 months of operation of the Iridium NEXT satellites. | | | |
Contractual Obligation, Due in Next Twelve Months | | | | | | | $ 69,300,000 | | $ 69,300,000 | | | |
Insurance coverage period | | | | | | | | | 12 months | | | |
Insurance Policy Premium | | | | | | | | | $ 118,200,000 | | | |
Estimated aggregate costs associated with launch of satellites | | | | | | | | | $ 3,000,000,000 | | | |