# Why do airliner black boxes still exist?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-airliner-black-boxes-still-exist/922905>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 14, 2020, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-airliner-black-boxes-still-exist/922905 "2020-10-14T03:58:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 31

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**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-airliner-black-boxes-still-exist/922905/31 "2020-10-15T21:13:43Z")

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> [@DPRK](#):
>
> There is already space-based ADS-B surveillance on board Iridium satellites.

But inspired by [this thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-crash-in-orbit/923024) I read earlier, are there black boxes on board the Iridium satellites? 😉

> **[2009 satellite collision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_satellite_collision)**
>
> On February 10, 2009, two communications satellites—the active commercial Iridium 33 and the derelict Russian military Kosmos 2251—accidentally collided at a speed of 11.7 km/s (26,000 mph) and an altitude of 789 kilometres (490 mi) above the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia. It was the first time a hypervelocity collision occurred between two satellites; previous incidents had involved a satellite and a piece of space debris.
> Kosmos 2251 was a 950-kilogram (2,100 lb) Russian Strela military commun...

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