Iridium Communications (IRDM) 10-K11 Feb 212020 FY Annual reportFinancial data

Company Profile

Cover

Cover - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Cover - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Feb. 05, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.001 par value
Entity Address, Address Line One	1750 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 1400
Document Type	10-K
Document Annual Report	true
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2020
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Trading Symbol	IRDM
Entity Registrant Name	Iridium Communications Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	0001418819
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		134,279,633
Entity Public Float			$ 2,895
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-33963
Entity Address, City or Town	McLean
Entity Address, State or Province	VA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	22102
City Area Code	703
Local Phone Number	287-7400
Documents Incorporated by Reference	Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the registrant’s fiscal year end of December 31, 2020, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.
Entity Tax Identification Number	26-1344998
ICFR Auditor Attestation Flag	true
NASDAQ/NGS (GLOBAL SELECT MARKET)
Document Information [Line Items]
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 237,178	$ 223,561
Marketable Securities	7,548	0
Accounts receivable, net	61,151	68,697
Inventory	32,480	39,938
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	9,464	10,739
Total current assets	347,821	342,935
Property and equipment, net	2,917,076	3,180,799
Other assets	50,548	52,846
Intangible assets, net	45,504	46,977
Total assets	3,360,949	3,623,557
Current liabilities:
Short-term secured debt	16,766	10,875
Accounts payable	14,390	6,713
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	49,258	49,293
Interest payable	246	7,790
Deferred revenue	32,412	39,080
Total current liabilities	113,072	113,751
Long-term secured debt, net	1,596,893	1,412,501
Long-term senior unsecured notes, net	0	352,994
Deferred income tax liabilities, net	155,084	188,653
Deferred revenue, net of current portion	51,258	67,092
Other long-term liabilities	25,203	29,284
Total liabilities	1,941,510	2,164,275
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 300,000 shares authorized, 131,632 and 112,200 shares issued and outstanding	134	132
Additional paid-in capital	1,160,570	1,134,048
Retained earnings	275,915	331,969
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(17,180)	(6,867)
Total stockholders' equity	1,419,439	1,459,282
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,360,949	3,623,557
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	0	0
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	$ 0	$ 0

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.0001
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Common stock, shares authorized	300,000,000	300,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	134,055,756	131,632,000
Common stock, shares outstanding	134,055,756	131,632,000
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares authorized	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding	0	0
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares authorized	500,000	500,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	500,000	500,000
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding	0	0

Consolidated Statements of Oper

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Revenue:
Services	$ 463,095	$ 447,158	$ 406,757
Subscriber equipment	86,119	82,856	97,848
Engineering and support services	34,225	30,430	18,403
Total revenue	583,439	560,444	523,008
Operating expenses:
Cost of Services, Net	91,097	94,958	86,016
Cost of subscriber equipment	51,596	50,186	56,857
Research and development	12,037	14,310	22,429
Selling, general and administrative	90,052	93,165	97,846
Depreciation and amortization	303,174	297,705	218,207
Total operating expenses	547,956	550,324	481,355
Operating income	35,483	10,120	41,653
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	(94,271)	(115,396)	(55,149)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(30,209)	(111,710)	(7,292)
Other income (expense), net	33	(1,133)	139
Total other expense	(124,447)	(228,239)	(62,302)
Income tax benefit	(32,910)	(56,120)	(7,265)
Total loss before income taxes	(88,964)	(218,119)	(20,649)
Net income (loss)	(56,054)	(161,999)	(13,384)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic net income per share)	$ (56,054)	$ (166,193)	$ (23,533)
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted	133,491	125,167	108,975
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	$ (0.42)	$ (1.33)	$ (0.22)
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss)	$ (56,054)	$ (161,999)	$ (13,384)
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax	(3,272)	2,051	(5,017)
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedges, net of tax (see Note 8)	(7,036)	(121)	0
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities, net of tax	(5)	0	16
Comprehensive loss	(66,367)	(160,069)	(18,385)
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Dividends, Preferred Stock [Abstract]
Preferred stock dividends declared and paid	0	0	1,750
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Dividends, Preferred Stock [Abstract]
Preferred stock dividends declared and paid	0	4,194	2,109
Preferred stock dividends, undeclared	$ 0	$ 0	$ 6,290

Consolidated Statements of Chan

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Series A Preferred Stock [Member]	Series B Preferred Stock [Member]	Series A Convertible Preferred Stock	Series A Convertible Preferred StockSeries A Preferred Stock [Member]	Series B Convertible Preferred Stock	Series B Convertible Preferred StockSeries B Preferred Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Retained Earnings	Retained EarningsSeries A Preferred Stock [Member]	Retained EarningsSeries B Preferred Stock [Member]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 1,596,469							$ 98	$ 1,081,373	$ (3,796)	$ 518,794
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017				1,000		500		98,203
Stock-based compensation	16,727								16,727
Stock options exercised and awards vested	12,445							$ 4	12,441
Stock options exercised and awards vested (in shares)								3,443
Stock withheld to cover employee taxes	(1,981)							$ (1)	(1,980)
Stock withheld to cover employee taxes (in shares)								148
Net income (loss)	(13,384)										(13,384)
Dividends on preferred stock		$ (7,000)	$ (8,427)									$ (7,000)	$ (8,427)
Cumulative translation adjustments, net of tax	(5,017)									(5,017)
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities, net of tax	16									16
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedges, net of tax (see Note 8)	0
Preferred stock converted to common					(1,000)		(3)
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Convertible Securities								10,702
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Conversion of Convertible Securities								$ 11	(11)
Changes from adoption of ASC 606, net of tax	11,729										11,729
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	1,601,577							$ 112	1,108,550	(8,797)	501,712
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018				0		497		112,200
Stock-based compensation	16,641								16,641
Stock options exercised and awards vested	13,471							$ 3	13,468
Stock options exercised and awards vested (in shares)								3,003
Stock withheld to cover employee taxes	(4,594)							$ 0	(4,594)
Stock withheld to cover employee taxes (in shares)								(199)
Net income (loss)	(161,999)										(161,999)
Dividends on preferred stock			$ (7,744)										$ (7,744)
Cumulative translation adjustments, net of tax	2,051									2,051
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities, net of tax	0
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedges, net of tax (see Note 8)	(121)									(121)
Preferred stock converted to common							(497)
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Convertible Securities								16,628
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Conversion of Convertible Securities								$ 17	(17)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2019	1,459,282							$ 132	1,134,048	(6,867)	331,969
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019				0		0		131,632
Stock-based compensation	18,322								18,322
Stock options exercised and awards vested	12,715							$ 2	12,713
Stock options exercised and awards vested (in shares)								2,588
Stock withheld to cover employee taxes	(4,513)							$ 0	(4,513)
Stock withheld to cover employee taxes (in shares)								(164)
Net income (loss)	(56,054)										(56,054)
Cumulative translation adjustments, net of tax	(3,272)									(3,272)
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities, net of tax	(5)									(5)
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedges, net of tax (see Note 8)	(7,036)									(7,036)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 1,419,439							$ 134	$ 1,160,570	$ (17,180)	$ 275,915
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020				0		0		134,056

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ (56,054)	$ (161,999)	$ (13,384)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Deferred income taxes	(33,684)	(53,897)	(8,334)
Depreciation and amortization	303,174	297,705	218,207
Loss on extinguishment of debt	30,209	111,710	7,292
Stock-based compensation (net of amounts capitalized)	16,714	15,138	14,490
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs	3,658	18,904	10,145
Other Operating Activities, Cash Flow Statement	1,124	952	174
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	6,380	2,509	(12,783)
Inventory	7,234	(12,951)	(7,579)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,119	7,973	5,705
Other assets	3,241	3,097	(1,417)
Accounts payable	7,410	(4,300)	(732)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(8,590)	(4,174)	17,560
Increase (Decrease) in Interest Payable, Net	(7,072)	(12,919)	20,237
Deferred revenue	(21,692)	(6,435)	13,530
Other long-term liabilities	(3,404)	(3,170)	598
Net cash provided by operating activities	249,767	198,143	263,709
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(38,689)	(117,819)	(391,390)
Payments to Acquire Other Investments	(152)	(10,000)	0
Purchases of marketable securities	(7,629)	0	(235,528)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0	248,006
Net cash used in investing activities	(46,470)	(127,819)	(378,912)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments on the Credit Facility, including extinguishments	0	(1,734,965)	(80,359)
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt	202,000	1,450,000	0
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment	(12,375)	0	0
Repayments of Debt	(383,451)	0	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt	0	0	360,000
Repayment of the Thales Alenia Space bills of exchange	0	0	(59,936)
Payment of deferred financing fees	(2,562)	(28,803)	(21,239)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	12,715	13,471	12,445
Tax payment upon settlement of stock awards	(4,513)	(4,596)	(1,981)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(188,186)	(313,280)	193,503
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,494)	1,230	(1,270)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash	13,617	(241,726)	77,030
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period	223,561	465,287	388,257
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period	237,178	223,561	465,287
Supplemental cash flow information:
Interest Paid, Net of Amounts Capitalized	98,714	119,464	35,690
Income taxes paid (refund received), net	(661)	(606)	931
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Property and equipment received but not paid for yet	3,721	3,975	11,900
Interest capitalized but not paid	0	0	9,194
Capitalized amortization of deferred financing fees	115	2,416	16,306
Capitalized stock-based compensation	1,608	1,503	2,237
Credit facility repayment in exchange for settlement of hosting	0	0	35,000
Cost basis investment in exchange for the settlement of accounts receivable	0	0	3,300
Unrealized Loss on Foreign Currency Derivatives, before Tax	(7,036)	(118)	0
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payment of preferred stock dividends	0	0	(7,000)
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payment of preferred stock dividends	$ 0	$ (8,387)	$ (8,427)

Organization and Business

Organization and Business	12 Months Ended
Organization and Business	Dec. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization and Business	Organization and Business Iridium Communications Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, offers voice and data communications services and products to businesses, U.S. and international government agencies and other customers on a global basis. The Company is a provider of mobile voice and data communications services via a constellation of low earth orbiting satellites. The Company holds various licenses and authorizations from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”) and from foreign regulatory bodies that permit the Company to conduct its business, including the operation of its satellite constellation. The Company’s operations are conducted through, and its operating assets are owned by, its principal operating subsidiary, Iridium Satellite LLC, Iridium Satellite’s immediate parent, Iridium Holdings LLC, and their subsidiaries. As a result, there are no material differences between the information presented in these consolidated financial statements of the Company and the financial information of Iridium Holdings, Iridium Satellite and their subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, other than as a result of (i) tax provision as result of Iridium Holdings, Iridium Satellite and their subsidiaries being classified as flow-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes and (ii) senior unsecured notes (fully repaid February 15, 2020, see Note 7 ), related interest expense and loss on extinguishment of debt.

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation	Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation	Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation The Company has prepared the consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of (i) the Company, (ii) its wholly owned subsidiaries, and (iii) all less than wholly owned subsidiaries that the Company controls. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions, including those related to revenue recognition, the useful lives and recoverability of long-lived and intangible assets, income taxes, stock-based compensation, estimating the Company's incremental borrowing rate for its leases, and contingencies, among others. The Company bases these estimates on historical and anticipated results, trends, and various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable, including assumptions as to future events. These estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and recorded revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. Adopted Accounting Pronouncements Effective January 1, 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”). This guidance introduces a revised approach to the recognition and measurement of credit losses, emphasizing an updated model based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Adoption of ASU 2016-13 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures and no cumulative adjustment was recorded. Recent Accounting Developments Not Yet Adopted In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”). This guidance amends certain aspects of the accounting for income taxes. The Company intends to apply the new guidance effective January 1, 2021, as required. The impact of the adoption of ASU 2019-12 on the Company's consolidated financial statements and related disclosures is not expected to be material. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”). This guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference London Inter-bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued. The guidance in ASU 2020-04 is optional and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. The Company will continue to evaluate ASU 2020-04 and consider the possible adoption of expedients as well as the impacts they may have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Fair Value Measurements The Company evaluates assets and liabilities subject to fair value measurements on a recurring and non-recurring basis to determine the appropriate level to classify them for each reporting period. This determination requires significant judgments to be made by management of the Company. Fair value is the price that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability assuming an orderly transaction in the most advantageous market at the measurement date. U.S. GAAP establishes a hierarchical disclosure framework which prioritizes and ranks the level of observability of inputs used in measuring fair value. The fair value hierarchy consists of the following tiers: • Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; • Level 2, defined as observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; and • Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions. The fair value estimates are based upon certain market assumptions and information available to the Company. The carrying values of the following financial instruments approximated their fair values as of December 31, 2020 and 2019: cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accrued expenses and other current liabilities. Fair values approximate their carrying values because of their short-term nature. The Level 2 cash equivalents include money market funds, commercial paper and short-term U.S. agency securities. The Company also classifies its derivative financial instruments as Level 2. Leases For new leases, the Company will determine if an arrangement is or contains a lease at inception. Leases are included as right-of-use (“ROU”) assets within other assets and ROU liabilities within accrued expenses and other liabilities and within other long-term liabilities on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Certain leases contain variable contractual obligations as a result of future base rate escalations which are estimated based on observed trends and included within the measurement of present value. The Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. For certain leases, such as teleport network (“TPN”) facilities, the Company elected the practical expedient to combine lease and non-lease components as a single lease component. Taxes assessed on leases in which the Company is either a lessor or lessee are excluded from contract consideration and variable payments when measuring new lease contracts or remeasuring existing lease contracts. Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and receivables. The majority of cash is invested into a money market fund with U.S. treasuries, Agency Mortgage Backed Securities and/or U.S. government guaranteed debt. While the Company maintains its cash and cash equivalents with financial institutions with high credit ratings, it often maintains those deposits in federally insured financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company performs credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and records reserves to provide for estimated credit losses. Accounts receivable are due from both domestic and international customers. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of ninety days or less to be cash equivalents. These investments, along with cash deposited in institutional money market funds, regular interest bearing depository accounts and non-interest bearing depository accounts, are classified as cash and cash equivalents on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Marketable Securities Marketable securities consist of fixed-income debt securities with an original maturity in excess of ninety days. These investments are classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses, net of taxes, are reported as a component of other comprehensive income or loss. The specific identification method is used to determine the cost basis of the marketable securities sold. There were no realized gains or losses on the sale of marketable securities for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company regularly monitors and evaluates the fair value of its investments to identify other-than-temporary declines in value. The Company determined that any decline in fair value of these investments is temporary as the Company does not intend to sell these securities and it is not likely that the Company will be required to sell the securities before the recovery of their amortized cost basis. Accounts Receivable Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and are subject to late fee penalties. Management develops its estimate of an allowance for uncollectible receivables based on the Company’s experience with specific customers, aging of outstanding invoices, its understanding of customers’ current economic circumstances and its own judgment as to the likelihood that the Company will ultimately receive payment. The Company writes off its accounts receivable when balances ultimately are deemed uncollectible. The allowance for doubtful accounts was not material as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. Foreign Currencies Generally, the functional currency of the Company’s foreign consolidated subsidiaries is the local currency. Assets and liabilities of its foreign subsidiaries are translated to U.S. dollars based on exchange rates at the end of the reporting period. Income and expense items are translated at the weighted-average exchange rates prevailing during the reporting period. Translation adjustments are accumulated in a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Transaction gains or losses are classified as other income (expense), net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. In instances where the financial statements of a foreign entity in a highly inflationary economy are material, they are remeasured as if the functional currency were the reporting currency. In these instances, the financial statements of those entities are remeasured into the reporting currency. A highly inflationary economy is one that has cumulative inflation of approximately 100% or more over a three-year period. Deferred Financing Costs Direct and incremental costs incurred in connection with securing debt financing are deferred and are amortized as additional interest expense using the effective interest method over the term of the related debt. Capitalized Interest During the development and construction periods of a project, including the financing of the Company's upgraded satellite constellation, the Company capitalizes interest. Capitalization ceases when the asset is ready for its intended use or when these activities are substantially suspended. If some portions of a project are substantially complete and ready for use and other portions have not yet reached that stage, the Company ceases capitalizing costs on the completed portion of the project but continues to capitalize for the incomplete portion of the project. Inventory Inventory consists primarily of finished goods, although the Company at times also maintains an inventory of raw materials from third-party manufacturers. The Company outsources manufacturing of subscriber equipment to a third-party manufacturer and purchases accessories from third-party suppliers. The Company’s cost of inventory includes an allocation of overhead, including payroll and payroll-related costs of employees directly involved in bringing inventory to its existing condition, and freight. Inventories are valued using the average cost method and are carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The expense for excess and obsolete inventory was not material as of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018. The Company has a manufacturing agreement with Benchmark Electronics Inc. (“Benchmark”) to manufacture most of its subscriber equipment. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company may be required to purchase excess materials at cost plus a contractual markup if the materials are not used in production within the periods specified in the agreement. Benchmark will then repurchase such materials from the Company at the same price paid by the Company, as required for the production of the subscriber equipment. Stock-Based Compensation The Company accounts for stock-based compensation at fair value. The fair value of stock options is determined at the grant date using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model. The fair value of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) is equal to the closing price of the underlying common stock on the grant date. The fair value of an award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service or performance period and is classified in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income in a manner consistent with the classification of the recipient’s compensation. The expected vesting of the Company’s performance-based RSUs is based upon the probability that the Company achieves the defined performance goals. The level of achievement of performance goals, if any, is determined by the Compensation Committee. Stock-based awards to non-employee consultants are expensed at their grant-date fair value as services are provided according to the terms of their agreements and are classified in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income. Classification of stock-based compensation by line item on the balance sheet and statement of operations is presented below: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) Property and equipment, net $ 1,319 $ 1,187 Inventory 261 237 Prepaid and other current assets 28 79 Cost of subscriber equipment 29 23 Cost of services (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) 5,037 4,326 Research and development 305 243 Selling, general and administrative 11,343 10,546 Total stock-based compensation $ 18,322 $ 16,641 Property and Equipment Property and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives: Satellites 12.5 years Ground system 5-7 years Equipment 3-5 years Internally developed software and purchased software 3-7 years Building 39 years Building improvements 5-39 years Leasehold improvements shorter of useful life or remaining lease term The Company calculates depreciation expense using the straight-line method and evaluates the appropriateness of the useful life used in this calculation on a quarterly basis or as events occur that require additional assessment. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. Derivative Financial Instruments The Company uses an interest rate swap agreement to manage its exposures to fluctuating interest rate risk on variable rate debt. Derivatives are measured at fair value and are recorded on the balance sheet within other assets and other long-term liabilities. The Company’s derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges, with the effective portion of the changes in fair value of the derivatives recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and subsequently recognized in earnings when the hedged items impact earnings. Any ineffective portion of cash flow hedges would be recorded in current earnings. Within the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income, the gains and losses related to cash flow hedges are recognized within interest income (expense), net, as this is the same financial statement line item used for any gains or losses associated with the hedged items. Cash flows from hedging activities are included as operating activities within the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows, which is the same category as the items being hedged. See Note 8 for further information. Long-Lived Assets The Company assesses its long-lived assets for impairment when indicators of impairment exist. Recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying amounts of the assets to the future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the assets. Any impairment loss would be measured as the excess of the assets’ carrying amount over their fair value. Intangible Assets The Company’s intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their useful lives and reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. If any indicators were present, the Company would test for recoverability by comparing the carrying amount of the asset to the net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated from the asset. If those net undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying amount (i.e., the asset is not recoverable), the Company would perform the next step, which is to determine the fair value of the asset and record an impairment loss, if any. The Company evaluates the useful lives for these intangible assets each reporting period to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision in their remaining useful lives. Amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives: Intellectual property 20 years Assembled workforce 7 years Patents 14 - 20 years Revenue Recognition The Company derives its revenue primarily as a wholesaler of satellite communications products and services. The primary types of revenue include (i) service revenue (access and usage-based airtime fees), (ii) subscriber equipment revenue, and (iii) revenue generated by providing engineering and support services to commercial and government customers. In addition to the discussion immediately below, see Note 12 for further discussion of the Company's revenue recognition. Wholesaler of satellite communications products and services Pursuant to wholesale agreements, the Company sells its products and services to service providers who, in turn, sell the products and services to other distributors or directly to the end users. The Company recognizes revenue when an arrangement exists, services or equipment are transferred, the transaction price is determined, the arrangement has commercial substance, and collection of consideration is probable. Contracts with multiple performance obligations At times, the Company sells services and equipment through arrangements that bundle equipment, airtime and other services. For these revenue arrangements when the Company sells services and equipment in bundled arrangements and determines that it has separate distinct performance obligations, the Company allocates the bundled contract price among the various performance obligations based on each deliverable’s stand-alone selling price. If the stand-alone selling price is not directly observable, the Company estimates the amount to be allocated for each performance obligation based on observable market transactions or the residual approach. When the Company determines the performance obligations are not distinct, the Company recognizes revenue on a combined basis as the last obligation is satisfied. To the extent the Company's contracts include variable consideration, the transaction price includes both fixed and variable consideration. The variable consideration contained within the Company's contracts with customers may include discounts, credits and other similar items. When a contract includes variable consideration, the Company evaluates the estimate of the variable consideration to determine whether the estimate needs to be constrained; therefore, the Company includes the variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. Variable consideration estimates are updated at the end of each quarter. Service revenue sold on a stand-alone basis Service revenue is generated from the Company’s service providers through usage of its satellite system and through fixed monthly access fees per user charged to service providers. Revenue for usage is recognized when usage occurs. Revenue for fixed-per-user access fees is recognized over the usage period in which the services are provided to the end user. The Company sells prepaid services in the form of e-vouchers and prepaid cards. A liability is established equal to the cash paid upon purchase for the e-voucher or prepaid card. Beginning January 1, 2018, upon the adoption of ASU 2014-09, the Company recognizes revenue from (i) the prepaid services upon the use of the e-voucher or prepaid card by the customer and (ii) the estimated pattern of use. The Company does not offer refunds for unused prepaid services. Services sold to the U.S. government The Company provides airtime and airtime support to U.S. government and other authorized customers pursuant to the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (“EMSS”) contract managed by the U.S. Space Force. Under the terms of this agreement, authorized customers continue to utilize airtime services, provided through the U.S. government’s dedicated gateway. These services include unlimited global standard and secure voice, low and high-speed data, paging, broadcast and Distributed Tactical Communications Services (“DTCS”) services for an unlimited number of Department of Defense (“DoD”) and other federal subscribers. Under this contract, revenue is based on the annual fee for the fixed-price contract with unlimited subscribers, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over each contractual year. The U.S. government purchases its subscriber equipment from third-party distributors and not directly from the Company. Subscriber equipment sold on a stand-alone basis The Company recognizes subscriber equipment sales and the related costs when title to the equipment (and the risks and rewards of ownership) passes to the customer, typically upon shipment. Customers do not have rights of return without prior consent from the Company. Government engineering and support services The Company provides maintenance services to the U.S. government’s dedicated gateway. This revenue is recognized ratably over the periods in which the services are provided; the related costs are expensed as incurred. Other government and commercial engineering and support services The Company also provides engineering services to assist customers in developing new technologies for use on the Company’s satellite system. The revenue associated with fixed-fee contracts is recognized over time using costs incurred to date relative to total estimated costs at completion to measure progress toward satisfying its performance obligation. The Company does not include purchases of goods from a third party in its evaluation of costs incurred. Incurred costs represent work performed, which corresponds with, and thereby best depicts, the transfer of control to the customer. Revenue on cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts is recognized to the extent of estimated costs incurred plus the applicable fees earned. The Company considers fixed fees under cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts to be earned in proportion to the allowable costs incurred in performance of the contract. Research and Development Research and development costs are charged to expense in the period in which they are incurred. Advertising Costs Costs associated with advertising and promotions are expensed as incurred. Advertising expenses were $1.2 million, $0.9 million and $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability approach, which requires the recognition of tax benefits or expenses for temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized. The Company also recognizes a tax benefit from uncertain tax positions only if it is “more likely than not” that the position is sustainable based on its technical merits. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties on uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense. Net Loss Per Share The Company calculates basic net loss per share by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share takes into account the effect of potentially dilutive common shares when the effect is dilutive. The effect of potentially dilutive common shares, including common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options, is computed using the treasury stock method. The effect of potentially dilutive common shares from the conversion of outstanding convertible preferred securities was computed using the as-if converted method at the stated conversion rate. The Company’s unvested RSUs awarded to the board of directors contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends and therefore are considered to be participating securities in periods of net income. The calculation of basic and diluted net loss per share excludes net income attributable to these unvested RSUs from the numerator and excludes the impact of these unvested RSUs from the denominator.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and M

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities	12 Months Ended
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities	Dec. 31, 2020
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities	Cash and Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities Cash and Cash Equivalents The following table summarizes the Company’s cash and cash equivalents: December 31, Recurring Fair 2020 2019 (In thousands) Cash and cash equivalents: Cash $ 27,168 $ 13,943 Money market funds 208,005 209,618 Level 2 Fixed income debt securities 2,005 — Level 2 Total cash and cash equivalents $ 237,178 $ 223,561 Marketable Securities As of December 31, 2020, the Company's marketable securities consisted of only fixed-income securities. The amortized cost of these securities amounted to $7.6 million and the estimated fair value amounted to $7.5 million as of December 31, 2020. The gross unrealized gains and gross unrealized losses on these marketable securities were not material as of December 31, 2020. All marketable securities are measured as Level 2 investments. The following table presents the contractual maturities of the Company's fixed income debt securities, as of December 31, 2020: December 31, 2020 Amortized Cost Fair Value (In thousands) Mature within one year $ 5,530 $ 5,525 Mature after one year and within three years 2,024 2,023 Total $ 7,554 $ 7,548

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment	12 Months Ended
Property and Equipment	Dec. 31, 2020
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property and Equipment	Property and Equipment Property and equipment consisted of the following: December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) Satellite system $ 3,197,460 $ 3,197,460 Ground system 64,581 66,789 Equipment 44,871 45,406 Internally developed software and purchased software 251,320 241,793 Building and leasehold improvements 29,924 31,050 Total depreciable property and equipment 3,588,156 3,582,498 Less: accumulated depreciation (959,606) (682,130) Total depreciable property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation 2,628,550 2,900,368 Land 8,037 8,037 Construction-in-process: Ground spares 225,254 225,254 Other construction-in-process 55,235 47,140 Total property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation $ 2,917,076 $ 3,180,799 Other construction-in-process consisted of the following: December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) Internally developed software $ 44,444 $ 38,064 Equipment 10,388 8,983 Ground system 403 93 Total other construction-in-process $ 55,235 $ 47,140 Depreciation expense was $301.7 million, $296.1 million and $216.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase in depreciation from 2018 to 2019 was primarily due to the increased number of upgraded satellites in service as the Company completed the replacement of its first-generation satellites in the first quarter of 2019.

Intangible Assets

Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
Intangible Assets	Dec. 31, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Intangible Assets	Intangible Assets The Company had identifiable intangible assets as follows: December 31, 2020 Useful Gross Accumulated Net (In thousands) Indefinite life intangible assets: Trade names Indefinite $ 21,195 $ — $ 21,195 Spectrum and licenses Indefinite 14,030 — 14,030 Total 35,225 — 35,225 Definite life intangible assets: Intellectual property 20 years 16,439 (8,927) 7,512 Assembled workforce 7 years 5,678 (3,244) 2,434 Patents 14 - 20 years 396 (63) 333 Total 22,513 (12,234) 10,279 Total intangible assets $ 57,738 $ (12,234) $ 45,504 December 31, 2019 Useful Gross Accumulated Net (In thousands) Indefinite life intangible assets: Trade names Indefinite $ 21,195 $ — $ 21,195 Spectrum and licenses Indefinite 14,030 — 14,030 Total 35,225 — 35,225 Definite life intangible assets: Intellectual property 20 years 16,439 (8,217) 8,222 Assembled workforce 7 years 5,678 (2,433) 3,245 Patents 14 - 20 years 324 (39) 285 Total 22,441 (10,689) 11,752 Total intangible assets $ 57,666 $ (10,689) $ 46,977 Amortization expense was $1.5 million, $1.6 million, and $1.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Future amortization expense with respect to intangible assets existing at December 31, 2020, by year and in the aggregate, was as follows: Year ending December 31, Amount (In thousands) 2021 $ 1,548 2022 1,548 2023 1,548 2024 737 2025 737 Thereafter 4,161 Total estimated future amortization expense $ 10,279

Leases (Notes)

Leases (Notes)	12 Months Ended
Leases (Notes)	Dec. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Leases [Text Block]	Leases The Company has operating leases for land, office space, satellite network operations center (“SNOC”) facilities, system gateway facilities, a warehouse and a distribution center. The Company also has operations and maintenance (“O&M”) agreements that include leases associated with two TPN facilities. Some of the Company's leases include options to extend the leases for up to 10 years and some include options to terminate the lease within 1 year. The Company does not include term extension options as part of its present value calculation of lease liabilities unless it is reasonably certain to exercise those options. As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s weighted-average remaining lease term relating to its operating leases was 6.7 years, and the weighted-average discount rate used to calculate the operating lease liability payment was 6.7%. The table below summarizes the Company’s lease-related assets and liabilities: Leases Classification December 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (in thousands) Operating lease assets Noncurrent Other assets $ 23,974 $ 27,007 Total lease assets $ 23,974 $ 27,007 Operating lease liabilities Current Accrued expenses and other current liabilities $ 3,838 $ 3,397 Noncurrent Other long-term liabilities 23,258 26,859 Total lease liabilities $ 27,096 $ 30,256 During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company incurred lease expense of $5.6 million, $5.1 million and $5.1 million, respectively. A portion of rent expense during these comparable periods was derived from leases that were not included within the ROU asset and liability balances shown above as they had terms shorter than twelve months and were therefore excluded from balance sheet recognition under ASU 2016-02. Future payment obligations with respect to the Company's operating leases in which it was the lessee at December 31, 2020, by year and in the aggregate, were as follows: Year Ending December 31, Amount (in thousands) 2021 $ 5,700 2022 5,145 2023 4,974 2024 4,970 2025 5,088 Thereafter 8,209 Total lease payments $ 34,086 Lessor Arrangements Operating leases in which the Company is a lessor consist primarily of hosting agreements with Aireon LLC (see Note 1 4 ) and L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (“L3Harris”) for space on the Company’s upgraded satellites. These agreements provide for a fee that will be recognized over the life of the satellites, currently expected to be approximately 12.5 years. Lease income related to these agreements was $21.4 million, $21.6 million and $17.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Lease income is recorded as hosted payload and other data service revenue within service revenue on the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Both Aireon and L3Harris have made payments for their hosting agreements and will continue to do so. Future income with respect to the Company's operating leases in which it was the lessor at December 31, 2020, by year and in the aggregate, is as follows: Year Ending December 31, Amount (in thousands) 2021 $ 21,445 2022 21,445 2023 21,445 2024 21,445 2025 21,445 Thereafter 98,907 Total lease income $ 206,132

Debt

Debt	12 Months Ended
Debt	Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt Term Loan and Revolving Facility On November 4, 2019, pursuant to a loan agreement (as amended to date, the “Credit Agreement”) the Company entered into a $1,450.0 million term loan with Deutsche Bank AG (the “Term Loan”) and an accompanying $100.0 million revolving loan (the “Revolving Facility”). The Company used the proceeds of the Term Loan, along with its debt service reserve account and cash on hand, to prepay all of the indebtedness outstanding under its $1.8 billion loan facility with Bpifrance Assurance Export S.A.A., as well as related expenses. The Term Loan was issued at a price equal to 99.5% of its face value and initially bore interest at an annual rate of LIBOR plus 3.75%, with a 1.0% LIBOR floor, with a maturity date in November 2026. Subsequent to December 31, 2020, the Company repriced the Term Loan to reduce the interest rate (see Note 18 for more information). Interest on the Term Loan is paid monthly on the last business day of the month. Principal payments, which are payable quarterly and began on June 30, 2020, equal $16.5 million per annum (one percent of the full amount of the loan following the additional $200.0 million drawn on February 7, 2020, as noted below), with the remaining principal due upon maturity. Borrowings under the Revolving Facility, if any, bear interest at LIBOR plus 3.75% without a LIBOR floor, if and as drawn, with no original issue discount, a commitment fee of 0.5% per year on the undrawn amount, and a maturity date in November 2024. On February 7, 2020, the Company closed on an additional $200.0 million under its Term Loan. On February 13, 2020, the Company used these proceeds, together with cash on hand, to prepay and retire all of the indebtedness outstanding under the senior unsecured notes (the “Notes”), including premiums for early prepayment. The additional amount is fungible with the original $1,450.0 million, having the same maturity date, interest rate and other terms, but was issued at a 1.0% premium to face value. To prepay the Notes, the Company paid a call price equal to the present value at the redemption rate of (i) 105.125% of the $360.0 million principal amount of the Notes plus (ii) all interest due through the first call date in April 2020, representing a total call premium of $23.5 million, plus all accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company reported an aggregate of $1,637.6 million and $1,450.0 million in borrowings under the Term Loan, respectively. These amounts are before $24.0 million and $26.6 million of net unamortized deferred financing costs as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The net principal balance in borrowings in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 amounted to $1,613.6 million and $1,423.4 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, based upon over-the-counter bid levels (Level 2 - market approach), the fair value of the borrowings under the Term Loan due in 2026 was $1,647.9 million and $1,468.1 million, respectively. The Company had not borrowed under the Revolving Facility as of December 31, 2020. The Credit Agreement restricts the Company’s ability to incur liens, engage in mergers or asset sales, pay dividends, repay subordinated indebtedness, incur indebtedness, make investments and loans, and engage in other transactions as specified in the Credit Agreement, and also contains a mandatory prepayment sweep mechanism with respect to a portion of the Company’s excess cash flow (as defined in the Credit Agreement). The Credit Agreement provides for specified exceptions, baskets measured as a percentage of trailing twelve months of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), and unlimited exceptions in the case of incurring indebtedness and liens and making investments, dividend payments, and payments of subordinated indebtedness, as well as a phase-out of the mandatory excess cash flow prepayments, based on achievement and maintenance of specified leverage ratios. The Company’s mandatory excess cash flow prepayment, as specified in the Credit Agreement, was $12.6 million as of December 31, 2020. This amount will be paid in 2021 and counts towards the Company's required quarterly principal payments. As such, it was classified under current short-term secured debt in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020. The Credit Agreement permits repayment, prepayment, and repricing transactions. The Company was in compliance with all other covenants as of December 31, 2020. The Credit Agreement contains no financial maintenance covenants with respect to the Term Loan. With respect to the Revolving Facility, the Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain a consolidated first lien net leverage ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of no greater than 6.25 to 1 if more than 35% of the Revolving Facility has been drawn. The Credit Agreement contains other customary representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, and events of default. The effective interest rate on outstanding principal of the Term Loan was 5.7% during the year ended December 31, 2020. Senior Unsecured Notes As of December 31, 2020, the Company had fully repaid and retired the total gross outstanding principal balance of the Notes, as discussed above. As of December 31, 2019, the Company reported an aggregate of $360.0 million in borrowings under the Notes, before $7.0 million of net unamortized deferred financing costs, for a net principal balance of $353.0 million in borrowings in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet. Interest on Debt Total interest incurred during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $98.6 million, $140.1 million and $142.7 million, respectively. Interest incurred includes amortization of deferred financing fees of $3.8 million, $21.6 million and $26.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 respectively. Interest capitalized during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $3.2 million and $15.1 million, respectively. Interest accrued for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $0.2 million and $7.8 million, respectively. Total Debt Future minimum principal repayments with respect to the Company's debt balances, including the mandatory excess cash flow prepayment, existing at December 31, 2020, by year and in the aggregate, are as follows: Year ending December 31, Amount (In thousands) 2021 $ 16,766 2022 16,234 2023 16,500 2024 16,500 2025 16,500 Thereafter 1,555,125 Total debt commitments $ 1,637,625 Less: Original issuance discount 23,966 Less: Total short-term debt 16,766 Total long-term debt, net $ 1,596,893

Derivative Instruments (Notes)

Derivative Instruments (Notes)	12 Months Ended
Derivative Instruments (Notes)	Dec. 31, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]	Derivative Financial Instruments The Company is exposed to interest rate fluctuations related to its Term Loan. The Company has reduced its exposure to fluctuations in the cash flows associated with changes in the variable interest rate by entering into offsetting positions through the use of interest rate swap contracts which result in recognizing a fixed interest rate for the portion of the Term Loan. This will reduce the negative impact of increases in the variable rate over the term of the interest rate swap contracts. These financial instruments are not used for trading or other speculative purposes. Historically, the Company has not incurred, and does not expect to incur in the future, any losses as a result of counterparty default. Hedge effectiveness of interest rate swap contracts is based on a long-haul hypothetical derivative methodology and includes all changes in value. The Company formally assesses, both at the hedge’s inception and on an ongoing quarterly basis, whether the designated derivative instruments are highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows of the hedged items. When the hedging instrument is sold, expires, is terminated or is exercised, or no longer qualifies for hedge accounting, or is no longer probable, hedge accounting is discontinued prospectively. Interest Rate Swaps On November 27, 2019, the Company executed a long-term interest rate swap (“Swap”) effective through November 2021 to mitigate variability in forecasted interest payments on a portion of the Company’s borrowings under its Term Loan. On the last business day of each month, the Company receives variable interest payments based on one-month LIBOR from the counterparty. The Company also entered into an interest rate swaption agreement (“Swaption”) that, if executed on November 22, 2021, would extend the Company's Swap through November 2026. The Company pays a fixed annual rate of 0.50% for the Swaption and a fixed rate of 1.565% on the Swap. Both the Swap and the Swaption derivative instruments carried a notional amount of $1,000.0 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company designated both the Swap and Swaption as qualifying hedging instruments and accounted for these derivatives as cash flow hedges. At inception, the Swap and Swaption were designated as cash flow hedges for hedge accounting. The unrealized changes in market value are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss and reclassified into earnings during the period in which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Over the next 12 months, the Company expects any gains or losses for cash flow hedges reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into earnings to have an immaterial impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Fair Value of Derivative Instruments As of December 31, 2020, the Company had a current liability balance of $5.2 million and $4.4 million, for the fair value of the Swap and Swaption, respectively, recorded in other current liabilities. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had a long-term asset balance for the fair value of the Swap in the amount of $0.8 million, recorded in other long-term assets, and a long-term liability balance for the fair value of the Swaption in the amount of $0.9 million recorded in other long-term liabilities.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	12 Months Ended
Stock-Based Compensation	Dec. 31, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based CompensationIn May 2019, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the Company’s 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (as so amended and restated, the “Amended 2015 Plan”), primarily to increase the number of shares available under the plan. The Company registered with the SEC an additional 2,542,664 shares of common stock made available for issuance pursuant to the Amended 2015 Plan, bringing the total to 30,944,912 shares registered. Through December 31, 2020, the remaining aggregate number of shares of the Company's common stock available for future grants under the Amended 2015 plan was 11,883,391. The Amended 2015 Plan provides for the grant of stock-based awards, including nonqualified stock options, incentive stock options, restricted stock, RSUs, stock appreciation rights and other equity securities as incentives and rewards for employees, consultants and non-employee directors of the Company and its affiliated entities. The number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Amended 2015 Plan is reduced by (i) one share for each share of common stock issued pursuant to an appreciation award, such as a stock option or stock appreciation right with an exercise or strike price of at least 100% of the fair market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant, and (ii) 1.8 shares for each share of common stock issued pursuant to any stock award that is not an appreciation award, also known as a “full value award.” The Amended 2015 Plan allows the Company to utilize a broad array of equity incentives and performance cash incentives in order to secure and retain the services of its employees, directors and consultants, and to provide long-term incentives that align the interests of its employees, directors and consultants with the interests of the Company’s stockholders. The Company accounts for stock-based compensation at fair value. Stock Option Awards The stock option awards granted to employees generally (i) have a term of ten years, (ii) vest over a four Fair Value Determination The Company uses the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model to determine the fair value of its stock option awards on the date of grant. The Company will reconsider the use of the Black-Scholes-Merton model if additional information becomes available in the future that indicates another model would be more appropriate or if grants issued in future periods have characteristics that cannot be reasonably estimated under this model. The Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model incorporates the following assumptions: • Volatility - The expected volatility of the options granted was estimated based upon historical volatility of the Company's share price of its common stock through daily observations of its trading history. • Expected life of options - The expected life of options granted to employees was determined from the simplified method. • Risk-free interest rate - The yield on zero-coupon U.S. Treasury strips was used to extrapolate a forward-yield curve. This “term structure” of future interest rates was then input into a numeric model to provide the equivalent risk-free rate to be used in the Black-Scholes-Merton model based on the expected term of the underlying grants. • Dividend yield - The Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model requires an expected dividend yield as an input. The Company does not anticipate paying dividends during the expected term of the grants; therefore, the dividend rate is assumed to be zero. The Company has historically granted stock options to newly hired and promoted employees. During 2019 and 2018, the Company granted approximately 139,000 and 364,000 stock options, respectively, with an estimated aggregate grant date fair value of $1.3 million and $2.4 million, respectively. The Company did not grant any stock options during the year ended December 31, 2020. The following table summarizes weighted-average assumptions used in the Company's calculations of fair value during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018: Year Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Expected volatility 40.78% 39.53% Expected term (years) 6.11 6.11 Expected dividends —% —% Risk free interest rate 2.59% 2.68% A summary of the activity of the Company’s stock options is as follows: Shares Weighted- Weighted- Aggregate (In thousands, except years and per share data) Options outstanding at December 31, 2017 6,856 $ 7.94 Granted 364 15.56 Cancelled or expired (1) 8.59 Exercised (1,477) 8.42 $ 16,614 Forfeited (39) 9.97 Options outstanding at December 31, 2018 5,703 $ 8.29 4.38 $ 57,956 Granted 139 21.12 Cancelled or expired (1) 11.80 Exercised (1,670) 8.11 $ 29,584 Forfeited (18) 11.74 Options outstanding at December 31, 2019 4,153 $ 8.78 4.03 $ 65,887 Cancelled or expired (5) 20.17 Exercised (1,581) 8.14 $ 33,836 Forfeited (13) 18.17 Options outstanding at December 31, 2020 2,554 $ 9.10 3.94 $ 77,182 Options exercisable at December 31, 2020 2,330 $ 8.31 3.59 $ 72,266 Options exercisable and expected to vest at December 31, 2020 2,550 $ 9.09 3.93 $ 77,107 The Company recognized $1.1 million, $1.4 million and $1.5 million of stock-based compensation expense related to stock options in the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 was $9.18 and $6.63 per share, respectively. The total fair value of the shares vested during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $1.4 million for each period. As of December 31, 2020, the total unrecognized cost related to non-vested options was approximately $1.5 million. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.5 years. Restricted Stock Units The RSUs granted to newly hired and promoted employees, as well as to employees for on-going service, vest over a four-year period, with 25% vesting on the first anniversary of the grant date and the remainder vesting ratably on a quarterly basis thereafter, subject to continued employment. The RSUs granted to non-employee directors generally vest in full on the first anniversary of the grant date. The RSUs granted to non-employee consultants generally vest 50% on the first anniversary of the grant date and ratably on a quarterly basis through the second anniversary of the grant date. Some RSUs granted to employees for performance vest upon the completion of defined performance goals, subject to continued employment. The Company’s RSUs are generally classified as equity awards because the RSUs will be paid in the Company's common stock upon vesting. The related compensation expense is recognized over the service period and is based on the grant date fair value of the Company's common stock and the number of shares expected to vest. The fair value of the awards is not remeasured at the end of each reporting period. The awards do not carry voting rights until they are vested and released in accordance with the terms of the award. Service-Based Awards The majority of the annual compensation the Company provides to members of its board of directors is paid in the form of RSUs. In addition, members of the Company’s board of directors can elect to receive the remainder of their annual compensation, or a portion thereof, in the form of RSUs. An aggregate amount of approximately 58,000, 76,000 and 110,000 service-based RSUs were granted to the Company's directors as a result of these elections during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, with an estimated grant date fair value of $1.4 million, $1.4 million and $1.3 million, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company granted approximately 713,000, 740,000 and 900,000 service-based RSUs, respectively, to its employees, with an estimated grant date fair value of $19.1 million, $16.9 million and $10.7 million, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company granted approximately 10,000, 11,000 and 14,000 service-based RSUs, respectively, to non-employee consultants, with an estimated grant date fair value of $0.2 million for each period. Performance-Based Awards In March 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company awarded approximately 115,000, 125,000 and 474,000 performance-based RSUs, respectively, to the Company’s executives and employees (the “Bonus RSUs”), with an estimated grant date fair value of $3.1 million, $2.9 million and $5.6 million, respectively. Vesting of the Bonus RSUs is and was dependent upon the Company’s achievement of defined performance goals over the respective fiscal year. The Company records stock-based compensation expense related to performance-based RSUs when it is considered probable that the performance conditions will be met. Management believes it is probable that substantially all of the 2020 Bonus RSUs will vest. The level of achievement, if any, of performance goals will be determined by the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors and, if such goals are achieved, the 2020 Bonus RSUs will vest, subject to continued employment, in March 2021. A portion of the March 2019 Bonus RSUs vested in March 2020 upon the determination of the level of achievement of the performance goals. Additionally, during 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company awarded approximately 144,000, 96,000 and 134,000 performance-based RSUs, respectively, to the Company’s executives (the “Executive RSUs”). The estimated aggregate grant date fair values of the Executive RSUs granted in 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $3.9 million, $2.2 million and $1.6 million, respectively. Vesting of the Executive RSUs is and was dependent upon the Company’s achievement of defined performance goals over a two-year period. The vesting of Executive RSUs will ultimately range from 0% to 150% of the number of shares underlying the Executive RSU grant based on the level of achievement of the performance goals. If the Company achieves the performance goals, 50% of the Executive RSUs will vest on the second anniversary of the grant date and the remaining 50% will vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, in each case, subject to the executive's continued service as of the vesting date. During 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company awarded additional shares underlying performance-based RSUs to the Company's executives for over-achievement of performance goal targets related to the Executive RSU grants originally awarded in 2018, 2017 and 2016 in the amounts of 20,000 shares, 11,000 shares and 1,000 shares, respectively. Award Summary A summary of the Company’s activity for outstanding RSUs is as follows: RSUs Weighted- (In thousands) Outstanding at December 31, 2017 3,548 $ 8.50 Granted 1,632 11.87 Forfeited (163) 9.69 Released (1,940) 8.64 Outstanding at December 31, 2018 3,077 $ 10.13 Granted 1,058 22.50 Forfeited (102) 14.86 Released (1,331) 10.52 Outstanding at December 31, 2019 2,702 $ 14.62 Granted 1,061 26.73 Forfeited (92) 17.72 Released (1,007) 15.63 Outstanding at December 31, 2020 2,664 $ 18.96 Vested and unreleased at December 31, 2020 (1) 802 (1) These RSUs were granted to the Company's board of directors as a part of their compensation for board and committee service and had vested but had not yet been issued and released. As of December 31, 2020, the total unrecognized cost related to non-vested RSUs was approximately $17.8 million. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.31 years. The Company recognized $17.2 million, $15.2 million and $15.2 million of stock-based compensation expense related to RSUs in the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Equity Transactions

Equity Transactions	12 Months Ended
Equity Transactions	Dec. 31, 2020
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Equity Transactions	Equity Transactions Preferred Stock The Company is authorized to issue 2.0 million shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. The Company previously issued 1.5 million shares of preferred stock, and the remaining 0.5 million authorized shares of preferred stock were undesignated and unissued as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, there were no outstanding shares of preferred stock, as all preferred stock was converted in prior periods into common stock according to its terms. Series B Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock In May 2014, the Company issued 500,000 shares of its 6.75% Series B Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”) in an underwritten public offering. Holders of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at a rate of 6.75% per annum of the $250 liquidation preference per share (equivalent to an annual rate of $16.875 per share). Dividends were payable quarterly in arrears on each March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. During the three months ended June 30, 2019, the Company's daily volume-weighted average stock price remained at or above $11.21 per share for a period of 20 out of 30 trading days, allowing for the conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock at the election of the Company. On May 15, 2019, the Company converted all outstanding shares of its Series B Preferred Stock into shares of common stock, resulting in the issuance of 16,627,632 shares of common stock. To convert the stock, the Company declared and paid all current and cumulative dividends to holders of record of Series B Preferred Stock as of May 8, 2019, resulting in a dividend payment of $8.4 million. As a result, the Company did not have any shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.

Revenue from Contracts with Cus

Revenue from Contracts with Customers Revenue (Notes)	12 Months Ended
Revenue from Contracts with Customers Revenue (Notes)	Dec. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Text Block]	Revenue The following table summarizes the Company’s services revenue: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (in thousands) Commercial services: Voice and data $ 168,668 $ 173,167 $ 168,107 IoT data 96,981 96,435 85,054 Broadband 35,959 30,455 25,069 Hosted payload and other data 60,600 49,969 40,527 Total commercial services 362,208 350,026 318,757 Government services 100,887 97,132 88,000 Total services $ 463,095 $ 447,158 $ 406,757 The following table summarizes the Company’s engineering and support services revenue: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (in thousands) Commercial $ 4,529 $ 2,852 $ 716 Government 29,696 27,578 17,687 Total $ 34,225 $ 30,430 $ 18,403 The timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections results in billed accounts receivable, unbilled receivables (contract assets), and deferred revenue (contract liabilities) on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company bills amounts under its agreed-upon contractual terms at periodic intervals (for services), upon shipment (for equipment), or upon achievement of contractual milestones or as work progresses (for engineering and support services). Billing may occur subsequent to revenue recognition, resulting in accounts receivable (contract assets). The Company may also receive payments from customers before revenue is recognized, resulting in deferred revenue (contract liabilities). The Company recognized revenue that was previously recorded as deferred revenue in the amounts of $41.1 million, $43.0 million and $18.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The Company has also recorded costs of obtaining contracts expected to be recovered in prepaid expenses and other assets (contract assets or commissions), that are not separately disclosed on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The commissions are recognized over the estimated usage period. The contract assets not separately disclosed are as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 (in thousands) Contract Assets: Commissions $ 993 $ 1,116 Other contract costs $ 2,860 $ 3,231

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes	Dec. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes U.S. and foreign components of income before income taxes are presented below: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) U.S. loss $ (89,251) $ (218,391) $ (22,147) Foreign income 287 272 1,498 Total loss before income taxes $ (88,964) $ (218,119) $ (20,649) The components of the Company’s income tax provision were as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) Current taxes: Federal tax (benefit) expense $ (688) $ (3,796) $ 17 State tax (benefit) expense 70 37 (91) Foreign tax expense 1,387 1,481 1,163 Total current tax (benefit) expense 769 (2,278) 1,089 Deferred taxes: Federal tax benefit (27,701) (50,690) (9,159) State tax expense (benefit) (5,869) (1,850) 904 Foreign tax benefit (109) (1,302) (99) Total deferred tax benefit (33,679) (53,842) (8,354) Total income tax benefit $ (32,910) $ (56,120) $ (7,265) On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”) was signed into law making significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code. Changes include, but are not limited to, a corporate tax rate decrease from 35% to 21% effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, the transition of U.S. international taxation from a worldwide tax system to a territorial system, and a one-time transition tax on the mandatory deemed repatriation of cumulative foreign earnings as of December 31, 2017. The Securities and Exchange Commission issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”) to address the application of U.S. GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 was effective for reporting periods that include December 22, 2017. Due to the timing of the enactment and the complexity involved in applying the provisions of the Tax Act, the Company made reasonable estimates of the material effects of the Tax Act and recorded provisional amounts in its December 31, 2017 financial statements including the remeasurement of its deferred tax assets/liabilities for an estimated net tax benefit of $150.9 million. In the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company completed its accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Act. No material adjustments were required to the provisional amounts initially recorded. A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory income tax expense to the Company’s effective income tax provision is below. Any amounts that do not have a meaningful impact on this reconciliation are not separately disclosed. Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) Expected tax benefit at U.S. federal statutory tax rate $ (18,811) $ (45,790) $ (4,336) State taxes, net of federal benefit (6,723) (15,608) (3,361) State tax valuation allowance 2,561 16,216 10,651 Deferred impact of state tax law changes and elections (1,684) (2,414) (6,481) Equity-based compensation (8,451) (8,227) (3,807) Limitation on executive compensation deduction 960 792 1,568 Other nondeductible items 206 873 298 Tax credits (1,048) (995) (2,872) Foreign taxes and other adjustments 80 (967) 1,075 Total income tax benefit $ (32,910) $ (56,120) $ (7,265) The components of deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows: December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) Deferred tax assets Long-term contracts $ 64,738 $ 69,188 Federal, state and foreign net operating losses, other carryforwards and tax credits 430,273 382,392 Other 22,493 24,137 Total deferred tax assets 517,504 475,717 Valuation allowance (32,218) (29,554) Net deferred tax assets 485,286 446,163 Deferred tax liabilities Fixed assets, intangibles and research and development expenditures (577,955) (565,897) Investment in joint venture (52,203) (60,374) Other (6,283) (7,095) Total deferred tax liabilities (636,441) (633,366) Net deferred income tax liabilities $ (151,155) $ (187,203) Pursuant to ASC 740, the Company nets deferred tax assets and liabilities within the same jurisdiction. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had a net deferred tax asset of $3.9 million that is included in other assets on the balance sheet and a net deferred tax liability of $155.1 million. The Company recognizes valuation allowances to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. In assessing the likelihood of realization, management considers: (i) future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences; (ii) future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carryforwards; (iii) taxable income in prior carryback year(s) if carryback is permitted under applicable tax law; and (iv) tax planning strategies. The Company had deferred tax assets related to cumulative U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $319.9 million and $280.5 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The pre-2018 U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards if unutilized, will expire in various amounts from 2031 through 2037. Pursuant to the Tax Act, the post-2017 U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards do not expire. The Company believes that the U.S. federal net operating losses will be utilized before the expiration dates and, as such, no valuation allowance has been established for these deferred tax assets. The Company had deferred tax assets related to the state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $69.7 million and $54.5 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, that expire from 2025 through 2040. The Company does not expect to fully utilize all of its state net operating losses within the respective carryforward periods and as such reflects a partial valuation allowance of $30.2 million and $27.7 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, against these deferred tax assets on its consolidated balance sheet. The Company had deferred tax assets related to the foreign net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $0.7 million and $0.9 million, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, that begin to expire in 2023. The Company does not expect to fully utilize all of its foreign net operating losses within the carryforward periods. As such had recorded a partial valuation allowance of $0.5 million and $0.8 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, against these deferred tax assets on its consolidated balance sheets. The timing and manner in which the Company will utilize the net operating loss carryforwards in any year, or in total, may be limited in the future as a result of changes in the Company’s ownership and any limitations imposed by the jurisdictions in which the Company operates. The Company had approximately $10.0 million and $9.5 million of deferred tax assets related to research and development tax credits as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, that expire in various amounts from 2029 through 2040. The Company had approximately $5.7 million and $5.2 million of deferred tax assets related to foreign tax credits as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, that expire in various amounts from 2020 through 2030. The Company does not expect to utilize all of its foreign tax credits within the respective carryforward periods. As such, the Company had a partial valuation allowance of $1.1 million as of December 31, 2020, which is unchanged from December 31, 2019. The Company had $3.6 million of deferred tax assets related to Alternative Minimum Tax (“AMT”) credits as of December 31, 2018. Pursuant to the Tax Act, the Company received a refund of $1.8 million in 2019 and pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act received the remaining $1.8 million in 2020. The Company has provided for U.S. income taxes on all undistributed earnings of its significant foreign subsidiaries since the Company does not indefinitely reinvest these undistributed earnings. The Company measures deferred tax assets and liabilities using tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The Company recognizes the effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Uncertain Income Tax Positions The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various state and foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in evaluating tax positions and determining the provision for income taxes. The Company establishes liabilities for tax-related uncertainties based on estimates of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes may be due. These liabilities are established when the Company believes that certain positions might be challenged despite its belief that its tax return positions are fully supportable. The Company adjusts these liabilities in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the outcome of a tax audit. The provision for income taxes includes the impact of changes to these liabilities. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits was $0.5 million and $1.0 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Any changes in the next twelve months are not anticipated to have a significant impact on the results of operations, financial position or cash flows of the Company. All of the Company’s uncertain tax positions, if recognized, would affect its income tax expense. The Company has elected an accounting policy to classify interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, potential interest and penalties on unrecognized tax benefits were not significant. The Company is subject to tax audits in all jurisdictions for which it files tax returns. Tax audits by their very nature are often complex and can require several years to complete. Currently, there are no U.S. federal, state or foreign jurisdiction tax audits pending. The Company’s corporate U.S. federal and state tax returns from 2010 to 2019 remain subject to examination by tax authorities and the Company’s foreign tax returns from 2012 to 2019 remain subject to examination by tax authorities. The following is a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits which includes related interest and penalties: 2020 2019 (In thousands) Balance at January 1, $ 953 $ 1,112 Change attributable to tax positions taken in a prior period (416) 38 Change attributable to final assessment — (176) Decrease attributable to lapse of statute of limitations — (21) Balance at December 31, $ 537 $ 953

Net Income (Loss) Per Share

Net Income (Loss) Per Share	12 Months Ended
Net Income (Loss) Per Share	Dec. 31, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net Income (Loss) Per Share	Net Loss Per Share The Company calculates basic net loss per common share by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. In periods of net income, diluted net income per share takes into account the effect of potentially dilutive common shares when the effect is dilutive. Potentially dilutive common shares include (i) common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options and (ii) contingently issuable RSUs that are convertible into shares of common stock upon achievement of certain service and performance requirements. The effect of potentially dilutive common shares is computed using the treasury stock method. The computations of basic and diluted net loss per common share are set forth below: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands, except per share data) Numerator: Net loss attributable to common stockholders - basic and diluted $ (56,054) $ (166,193) $ (23,533) Denominator: Weighted average common shares - basic and diluted 133,491 125,167 108,975 Net loss attributable to common stockholders per share - basic and diluted $ (0.42) $ (1.33) $ (0.22) Due to the Company’s net losses for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 all potential common stock equivalents were anti-dilutive and therefore excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share. The incremental number of shares underlying stock options and RSUs outstanding with anti-dilutive effects were as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) Anti-dilutive contingent performance-based RSUs 311 285 328 Anti-dilutive stock options 95 198 87 Anti-dilutive preferred shares — 6,104 16,693

Related Party Transaction Discl

Related Party Transaction Disclosure Related Party Transactions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions Disclosure	Related Party Transactions Aireon LLC and Aireon Holdings LLC The Company's satellite constellation hosts the Aireon ® system, which provides a global air traffic surveillance service through a series of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (“ADS-B”) receivers. The Company formed Aireon in 2011, with subsequent investments from the air navigation service providers (“ANSPs”) of Canada, Italy, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom, to develop and market this service. Aireon has contracted to pay the Company a fee to host the ADS-B receivers on its constellation, as well as fees for power and data services in connection with the delivery of the air traffic surveillance data. Pursuant to agreements with Aireon, Aireon will pay the Company fees of $200.0 million to host the ADS-B receivers, of which $54.5 million had been paid as of December 31, 2020. Aireon also pays power fees of up to approximately $3.7 million per year (the “Hosting Agreement”), as well as data services fees of approximately $19.8 million per year for the delivery of the air traffic surveillance data (the “Data Services Agreement”). The Aireon ADS-B receivers were activated on an individual basis as the satellite on which the receiver is hosted began carrying traffic. Pursuant to ASU 2016-02, the Company considers the agreement with Aireon related to the hosting as an operating lease. The Company recognized $16.1 million, $16.0 million and $13.9 million of revenue from hosting fees during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. In December 2018, in connection with Aireon's entry into a debt facility, the Company and the other Aireon investors contributed their respective interests in Aireon into a new holding company, Aireon Holdings LLC, and entered into an Amended and Restated Aireon Holdings LLC Agreement. Aireon Holdings LLC holds 100% of the membership interests in Aireon LLC, which remains the operating entity. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company's fully diluted ownership stake in Aireon Holdings LLC of approximately 35.7% remained unchanged, subject to certain redemption provisions contained in the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement. In addition, pursuant to a debt facility for Aireon LLC provided by the Company and the other Aireon investors, the Company will participate pro-rata, based on its fully diluted ownership stake, in an investor bridge loan. As such, in December 2020, the Company invested $0.2 million in Aireon LLC. The Company expects future funding by it and the other Aireon investors to be required in 2021 and 2022. The Company’s maximum commitment under the investor bridge loan is $10.7 million. Under the Data Services Agreement, Aireon pays the Company monthly data service payments on a per satellite basis. The Company recorded data service revenue from Aireon of $23.9 million, $12.6 million and $9.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Segments, Significant Customers

Segments, Significant Customers, Supplier and Service Providers and Geographic Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segments, significant customers, supplier and service providers and geographic information	Segments, Significant Customers, Supplier and Service Providers and Geographic Information The Company operates in one business segment, providing global satellite communications services and products. The Company derived approximately 22%, 22% and 20% of its total revenue in the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, from prime contracts or subcontracts with agencies of the U.S. government. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, no single commercial customer accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s total revenue. Approximately 35% and 39% of the Company’s accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, was due from prime contracts or subcontracts with agencies of the U.S. government. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, no single commercial customer accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s total accounts receivable balance. The Company contracts for the manufacture of its subscriber equipment primarily from a limited number of manufacturers and utilizes other sole source suppliers for certain component parts of its devices. Should events or circumstances prevent the manufacturer or the suppliers from producing the equipment or component parts, the Company’s business could be adversely affected until the Company is able to move production to other facilities of the manufacturer or secure a replacement manufacturer or an alternative supplier for such component parts. Net property and equipment by geographic area was as follows: December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) United States $ 421,930 $ 421,253 Satellites in orbit 2,487,220 2,744,356 All others 7,926 15,190 Total $ 2,917,076 $ 3,180,799 Revenue by geographic area was as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) United States $ 323,605 $ 300,494 $ 276,398 United Kingdom 47,487 50,401 51,344 Other countries (1) 212,347 209,549 195,266 Total $ 583,439 $ 560,444 $ 523,008 (1) No single country in this group represented more than 10% of revenue. Revenue is attributed to geographic area based on the billing address of the distributor. Service location and the billing address are often not the same. The Company’s distributors sell services directly or indirectly to end users, who may be located or use the Company’s products and services elsewhere. The Company cannot provide the geographical distribution of end users because it does not contract directly with them. The Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange fluctuations as foreign currency exchange rate movements create a degree of risk by affecting the U.S. dollar value of sales made and costs incurred in foreign currencies.

Employee Benefit Plan

Employee Benefit Plan	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plan	Dec. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plan	Employee Benefit PlanThe Company sponsors a defined-contribution 401(k) retirement plan (the “Plan”) that covers all employees. Employees are eligible to participate in the Plan on the first day of the month following the date of hire, and participants are 100% vested from the date of eligibility. The Company matches employees’ contributions equal to 100% of the salary deferral contributions up to 5% of the employees’ eligible compensation each pay period. Company matching contributions to the Plan were $3.1 million, $3.1 million and $3.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Selected Quarterly Information

Selected Quarterly Information (Unaudited)	12 Months Ended
Selected Quarterly Information (Unaudited)	Dec. 31, 2020
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Selected Quarterly Information (Unaudited)	Selected Quarterly Information (Unaudited) The following represents the Company’s unaudited quarterly results of operations: Quarter Ended March 31, 2020 June 30, 2020 September 30, 2020 December 31, 2020 (In thousands, except per share data) Revenue $ 145,287 $ 140,173 $ 151,472 $ 146,507 Operating income $ 11,822 $ 5,828 $ 12,733 $ 5,100 Net loss $ (31,702) $ (12,422) $ (4,005) $ (7,925) Net loss per common share - basic and diluted $ (0.24) $ (0.09) $ (0.03) $ (0.06) Quarter Ended March 31, 2019 June 30, 2019 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2019 (In thousands, except per share data) Revenue $ 133,685 $ 143,100 $ 144,785 $ 138,874 Operating income (loss) $ (1,633) $ 3,741 $ 8,011 $ 1 Net loss $ (18,024) $ (18,106) $ (18,012) $ (107,857) Net loss per common share - basic and diluted $ (0.18) $ (0.16) $ (0.14) $ (0.82) The sum of the per share amounts does not equal the annual amounts due to changes in the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the year.

Subsequent Event (Notes)

Subsequent Event (Notes)	1 Months Ended
Subsequent Event (Notes)	Feb. 11, 2021
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events [Text Block]	Subsequent EventsOn January 20, 2021, the Company closed on a repricing of its $1,637.6 million in gross borrowings under its Term Loan, with Deutsche Bank AG, which resulted in a 1.0% reduction in the borrowing rate. The Term Loan now bears interest at an annual rate of LIBOR plus 2.75% with a 1.00% LIBOR floor, having the same maturity date, and other terms of the Credit Agreement. The interest rate on the Revolving Facility remained at LIBOR plus 3.75% with no LIBOR floor. To reprice the Term Loan, the Company incurred financing costs of $3.4 million. The Company is currently evaluating the accounting treatment of this transaction.

Significant Accounting Polici_2

Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation	Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation The Company has prepared the consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of (i) the Company, (ii) its wholly owned subsidiaries, and (iii) all less than wholly owned subsidiaries that the Company controls. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions, including those related to revenue recognition, the useful lives and recoverability of long-lived and intangible assets, income taxes, stock-based compensation, estimating the Company's incremental borrowing rate for its leases, and contingencies, among others. The Company bases these estimates on historical and anticipated results, trends, and various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable, including assumptions as to future events. These estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and recorded revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Adopted Accounting Pronouncements	Adopted Accounting PronouncementsEffective January 1, 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”). This guidance introduces a revised approach to the recognition and measurement of credit losses, emphasizing an updated model based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Adoption of ASU 2016-13 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures and no cumulative adjustment was recorded.
Recent Accounting Developments Not Yet Adopted	Recent Accounting Developments Not Yet Adopted In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”). This guidance amends certain aspects of the accounting for income taxes. The Company intends to apply the new guidance effective January 1, 2021, as required. The impact of the adoption of ASU 2019-12 on the Company's consolidated financial statements and related disclosures is not expected to be material. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”). This guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements The Company evaluates assets and liabilities subject to fair value measurements on a recurring and non-recurring basis to determine the appropriate level to classify them for each reporting period. This determination requires significant judgments to be made by management of the Company. Fair value is the price that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability assuming an orderly transaction in the most advantageous market at the measurement date. U.S. GAAP establishes a hierarchical disclosure framework which prioritizes and ranks the level of observability of inputs used in measuring fair value. The fair value hierarchy consists of the following tiers: • Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; • Level 2, defined as observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; and • Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.
Leases of Lessee Disclosure	Leases For new leases, the Company will determine if an arrangement is or contains a lease at inception. Leases are included as right-of-use (“ROU”) assets within other assets and ROU liabilities within accrued expenses and other liabilities and within other long-term liabilities on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Certain leases contain variable contractual obligations as a result of future base rate escalations which are estimated based on observed trends and included within the measurement of present value. The Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. For certain leases, such as teleport network (“TPN”) facilities, the Company elected the practical expedient to combine lease and non-lease components as a single lease component. Taxes assessed on leases in which the Company is either a lessor or lessee are excluded from contract consideration and variable payments when measuring new lease contracts or remeasuring existing lease contracts.
Concentrations of Credit Risk	Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and receivables. The majority of cash is invested into a money market fund with U.S. treasuries, Agency Mortgage Backed Securities and/or U.S. government guaranteed debt. While the Company maintains its cash and cash equivalents with financial institutions with high credit ratings, it often maintains those deposits in federally insured financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company performs credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and records reserves to provide for estimated credit losses. Accounts receivable are due from both domestic and international customers.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of ninety days or less to be cash equivalents. These investments, along with cash deposited in institutional money market funds, regular interest bearing depository accounts and non-interest bearing depository accounts, are classified as cash and cash equivalents on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Marketable Securities, Policy	Marketable Securities Marketable securities consist of fixed-income debt securities with an original maturity in excess of ninety days. These investments are classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses, net of taxes, are reported as a component of other comprehensive income or loss. The specific identification method is used to determine the cost basis of the marketable securities sold. There were no realized gains or losses on the sale of marketable securities for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company regularly monitors and evaluates the fair value of its investments to identify other-than-temporary declines in value. The Company determined that any decline in fair value of these investments is temporary as the Company does not intend to sell these securities and it is not likely that the Company will be required to sell the securities before the recovery of their amortized cost basis.
Accounts Receivable	Accounts ReceivableTrade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and are subject to late fee penalties. Management develops its estimate of an allowance for uncollectible receivables based on the Company’s experience with specific customers, aging of outstanding invoices, its understanding of customers’ current economic circumstances and its own judgment as to the likelihood that the Company will ultimately receive payment. The Company writes off its accounts receivable when balances ultimately are deemed uncollectible.
Foreign Currencies	Foreign CurrenciesGenerally, the functional currency of the Company’s foreign consolidated subsidiaries is the local currency. Assets and liabilities of its foreign subsidiaries are translated to U.S. dollars based on exchange rates at the end of the reporting period. Income and expense items are translated at the weighted-average exchange rates prevailing during the reporting period. Translation adjustments are accumulated in a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Transaction gains or losses are classified as other income (expense), net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. In instances where the financial statements of a foreign entity in a highly inflationary economy are material, they are remeasured as if the functional currency were the reporting currency. In these instances, the financial statements of those entities are remeasured into the reporting currency. A highly inflationary economy is one that has cumulative inflation of approximately 100% or more over a three-year period.
Deferred Financing Costs	Deferred Financing CostsDirect and incremental costs incurred in connection with securing debt financing are deferred and are amortized as additional interest expense using the effective interest method over the term of the related debt.
Capitalized Interest	Capitalized InterestDuring the development and construction periods of a project, including the financing of the Company's upgraded satellite constellation, the Company capitalizes interest. Capitalization ceases when the asset is ready for its intended use or when these activities are substantially suspended. If some portions of a project are substantially complete and ready for use and other portions have not yet reached that stage, the Company ceases capitalizing costs on the completed portion of the project but continues to capitalize for the incomplete portion of the project.
Inventory	InventoryInventory consists primarily of finished goods, although the Company at times also maintains an inventory of raw materials from third-party manufacturers. The Company outsources manufacturing of subscriber equipment to a third-party manufacturer and purchases accessories from third-party suppliers. The Company’s cost of inventory includes an allocation of overhead, including payroll and payroll-related costs of employees directly involved in bringing inventory to its existing condition, and freight. Inventories are valued using the average cost method and are carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value.The Company has a manufacturing agreement with Benchmark Electronics Inc. (“Benchmark”) to manufacture most of its subscriber equipment. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company may be required to purchase excess materials at cost plus a contractual markup if the materials are not used in production within the periods specified in the agreement. Benchmark will then repurchase such materials from the Company at the same price paid by the Company, as required for the production of the subscriber equipment.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based CompensationThe Company accounts for stock-based compensation at fair value. The fair value of stock options is determined at the grant date using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model. The fair value of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) is equal to the closing price of the underlying common stock on the grant date. The fair value of an award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service or performance period and is classified in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income in a manner consistent with the classification of the recipient’s compensation. The expected vesting of the Company’s performance-based RSUs is based upon the probability that the Company achieves the defined performance goals. The level of achievement of performance goals, if any, is determined by the Compensation Committee. Stock-based awards to non-employee consultants are expensed at their grant-date fair value as services are provided according to the terms of their agreements and are classified in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.
Property and Equipment	Property and EquipmentProperty and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. The Company calculates depreciation expense using the straight-line method and evaluates the appropriateness of the useful life used in this calculation on a quarterly basis or as events occur that require additional assessment. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
Derivatives and Fair Value	Derivative Financial Instruments The Company uses an interest rate swap agreement to manage its exposures to fluctuating interest rate risk on variable rate debt. Derivatives are measured at fair value and are recorded on the balance sheet within other assets and other long-term liabilities. The Company’s derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges, with the effective portion of the changes in fair value of the derivatives recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and subsequently recognized in earnings when the hedged items impact earnings. Any ineffective portion of cash flow hedges would be recorded in current earnings. Within the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income, the gains and losses related to cash flow hedges are recognized within interest income (expense), net, as this is the same financial statement line item used for any gains or losses associated with the hedged items. Cash flows from hedging activities are included as operating activities within the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows, which is the same category as the items being hedged. See Note 8 for further information.
Long-Lived Assets	Long-Lived AssetsThe Company assesses its long-lived assets for impairment when indicators of impairment exist. Recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying amounts of the assets to the future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the assets. Any impairment loss would be measured as the excess of the assets’ carrying amount over their fair value.
Intangible Assets	Intangible Assets The Company’s intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their useful lives and reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. If any indicators were present, the Company would test for recoverability by comparing the carrying amount of the asset to the net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated from the asset. If those net undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying amount (i.e., the asset is not recoverable), the Company would perform the next step, which is to determine the fair value of the asset and record an impairment loss, if any. The Company evaluates the useful lives for these intangible assets each reporting period to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision in their remaining useful lives.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition The Company derives its revenue primarily as a wholesaler of satellite communications products and services. The primary types of revenue include (i) service revenue (access and usage-based airtime fees), (ii) subscriber equipment revenue, and (iii) revenue generated by providing engineering and support services to commercial and government customers. In addition to the discussion immediately below, see Note 12 for further discussion of the Company's revenue recognition. Wholesaler of satellite communications products and services Pursuant to wholesale agreements, the Company sells its products and services to service providers who, in turn, sell the products and services to other distributors or directly to the end users. The Company recognizes revenue when an arrangement exists, services or equipment are transferred, the transaction price is determined, the arrangement has commercial substance, and collection of consideration is probable. Contracts with multiple performance obligations At times, the Company sells services and equipment through arrangements that bundle equipment, airtime and other services. For these revenue arrangements when the Company sells services and equipment in bundled arrangements and determines that it has separate distinct performance obligations, the Company allocates the bundled contract price among the various performance obligations based on each deliverable’s stand-alone selling price. If the stand-alone selling price is not directly observable, the Company estimates the amount to be allocated for each performance obligation based on observable market transactions or the residual approach. When the Company determines the performance obligations are not distinct, the Company recognizes revenue on a combined basis as the last obligation is satisfied. To the extent the Company's contracts include variable consideration, the transaction price includes both fixed and variable consideration. The variable consideration contained within the Company's contracts with customers may include discounts, credits and other similar items. When a contract includes variable consideration, the Company evaluates the estimate of the variable consideration to determine whether the estimate needs to be constrained; therefore, the Company includes the variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. Variable consideration estimates are updated at the end of each quarter. Service revenue sold on a stand-alone basis Service revenue is generated from the Company’s service providers through usage of its satellite system and through fixed monthly access fees per user charged to service providers. Revenue for usage is recognized when usage occurs. Revenue for fixed-per-user access fees is recognized over the usage period in which the services are provided to the end user. The Company sells prepaid services in the form of e-vouchers and prepaid cards. A liability is established equal to the cash paid upon purchase for the e-voucher or prepaid card. Beginning January 1, 2018, upon the adoption of ASU 2014-09, the Company recognizes revenue from (i) the prepaid services upon the use of the e-voucher or prepaid card by the customer and (ii) the estimated pattern of use. The Company does not offer refunds for unused prepaid services. Services sold to the U.S. government The Company provides airtime and airtime support to U.S. government and other authorized customers pursuant to the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (“EMSS”) contract managed by the U.S. Space Force. Under the terms of this agreement, authorized customers continue to utilize airtime services, provided through the U.S. government’s dedicated gateway. These services include unlimited global standard and secure voice, low and high-speed data, paging, broadcast and Distributed Tactical Communications Services (“DTCS”) services for an unlimited number of Department of Defense (“DoD”) and other federal subscribers. Under this contract, revenue is based on the annual fee for the fixed-price contract with unlimited subscribers, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over each contractual year. The U.S. government purchases its subscriber equipment from third-party distributors and not directly from the Company. Subscriber equipment sold on a stand-alone basis The Company recognizes subscriber equipment sales and the related costs when title to the equipment (and the risks and rewards of ownership) passes to the customer, typically upon shipment. Customers do not have rights of return without prior consent from the Company. Government engineering and support services The Company provides maintenance services to the U.S. government’s dedicated gateway. This revenue is recognized ratably over the periods in which the services are provided; the related costs are expensed as incurred. Other government and commercial engineering and support services The Company also provides engineering services to assist customers in developing new technologies for use on the Company’s satellite system. The revenue associated with fixed-fee contracts is recognized over time using costs incurred to date relative to total estimated costs at completion to measure progress toward satisfying its performance obligation. The Company does not include purchases of goods from a third party in its evaluation of costs incurred. Incurred costs represent work performed, which corresponds with, and thereby best depicts, the transfer of control to the customer. Revenue on cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts is recognized to the extent of estimated costs incurred plus the applicable fees earned. The Company considers fixed fees under cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts to be earned in proportion to the allowable costs incurred in performance of the contract.
Research and Development	Research and Development Research and development costs are charged to expense in the period in which they are incurred.
Advertising Costs	Advertising CostsCosts associated with advertising and promotions are expensed as incurred.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability approach, which requires the recognition of tax benefits or expenses for temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized. The Company also recognizes a tax benefit from uncertain tax positions only if it is “more likely than not” that the position is sustainable based on its technical merits. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties on uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense.
Net Income (Loss) Per Share	Net Loss Per Share The Company calculates basic net loss per share by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share takes into account the effect of potentially dilutive common shares when the effect is dilutive. The effect of potentially dilutive common shares, including common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options, is computed using the treasury stock method. The effect of potentially dilutive common shares from the conversion of outstanding convertible preferred securities was computed using the as-if converted method at the stated conversion rate. The Company’s unvested RSUs awarded to the board of directors contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends and therefore are considered to be participating securities in periods of net income. The calculation of basic and diluted net loss per share excludes net income attributable to these unvested RSUs from the numerator and excludes the impact of these unvested RSUs from the denominator.

Significant Accounting Polici_3

Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of Stock-Based Compensation	Classification of stock-based compensation by line item on the balance sheet and statement of operations is presented below: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) Property and equipment, net $ 1,319 $ 1,187 Inventory 261 237 Prepaid and other current assets 28 79 Cost of subscriber equipment 29 23 Cost of services (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) 5,037 4,326 Research and development 305 243 Selling, general and administrative 11,343 10,546 Total stock-based compensation $ 18,322 $ 16,641
Property and Equipment Estimated Useful Lives	Property and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives: Satellites 12.5 years Ground system 5-7 years Equipment 3-5 years Internally developed software and purchased software 3-7 years Building 39 years Building improvements 5-39 years Leasehold improvements shorter of useful life or remaining lease term
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets Useful Lives	Amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives: Intellectual property 20 years Assembled workforce 7 years Patents 14 - 20 years

Cash and Cash Equivalents and_2

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Summary of Company's Cash and Cash Equivalents	The following table summarizes the Company’s cash and cash equivalents: December 31, Recurring Fair 2020 2019 (In thousands) Cash and cash equivalents: Cash $ 27,168 $ 13,943 Money market funds 208,005 209,618 Level 2 Fixed income debt securities 2,005 — Level 2 Total cash and cash equivalents $ 237,178 $ 223,561
Summary of Contractual Maturities of Company's Marketable Securities	The following table presents the contractual maturities of the Company's fixed income debt securities, as of December 31, 2020: December 31, 2020 Amortized Cost Fair Value (In thousands) Mature within one year $ 5,530 $ 5,525 Mature after one year and within three years 2,024 2,023 Total $ 7,554 $ 7,548

Property and Equipment (Tables)

Property and Equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Property and Equipment (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2020
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property and Equipment	Property and equipment consisted of the following: December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) Satellite system $ 3,197,460 $ 3,197,460 Ground system 64,581 66,789 Equipment 44,871 45,406 Internally developed software and purchased software 251,320 241,793 Building and leasehold improvements 29,924 31,050 Total depreciable property and equipment 3,588,156 3,582,498 Less: accumulated depreciation (959,606) (682,130) Total depreciable property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation 2,628,550 2,900,368 Land 8,037 8,037 Construction-in-process: Ground spares 225,254 225,254 Other construction-in-process 55,235 47,140 Total property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation $ 2,917,076 $ 3,180,799
Other construction in process	Other construction-in-process consisted of the following: December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) Internally developed software $ 44,444 $ 38,064 Equipment 10,388 8,983 Ground system 403 93 Total other construction-in-process $ 55,235 $ 47,140

Intangible Assets (Tables)

Intangible Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Intangible Assets (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of identifiable intangible assets	The Company had identifiable intangible assets as follows: December 31, 2020 Useful Gross Accumulated Net (In thousands) Indefinite life intangible assets: Trade names Indefinite $ 21,195 $ — $ 21,195 Spectrum and licenses Indefinite 14,030 — 14,030 Total 35,225 — 35,225 Definite life intangible assets: Intellectual property 20 years 16,439 (8,927) 7,512 Assembled workforce 7 years 5,678 (3,244) 2,434 Patents 14 - 20 years 396 (63) 333 Total 22,513 (12,234) 10,279 Total intangible assets $ 57,738 $ (12,234) $ 45,504 December 31, 2019 Useful Gross Accumulated Net (In thousands) Indefinite life intangible assets: Trade names Indefinite $ 21,195 $ — $ 21,195 Spectrum and licenses Indefinite 14,030 — 14,030 Total 35,225 — 35,225 Definite life intangible assets: Intellectual property 20 years 16,439 (8,217) 8,222 Assembled workforce 7 years 5,678 (2,433) 3,245 Patents 14 - 20 years 324 (39) 285 Total 22,441 (10,689) 11,752 Total intangible assets $ 57,666 $ (10,689) $ 46,977
Schedule of finite-lived intangible assets, future amortization expense	Future amortization expense with respect to intangible assets existing at December 31, 2020, by year and in the aggregate, was as follows: Year ending December 31, Amount (In thousands) 2021 $ 1,548 2022 1,548 2023 1,548 2024 737 2025 737 Thereafter 4,161 Total estimated future amortization expense $ 10,279

Leases (Tables)

Leases (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Leases (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Operating Leases, Right of Use Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]	Leases Classification December 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (in thousands) Operating lease assets Noncurrent Other assets $ 23,974 $ 27,007 Total lease assets $ 23,974 $ 27,007 Operating lease liabilities Current Accrued expenses and other current liabilities $ 3,838 $ 3,397 Noncurrent Other long-term liabilities 23,258 26,859 Total lease liabilities $ 27,096 $ 30,256
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Maturity [Table Text Block]	Future payment obligations with respect to the Company's operating leases in which it was the lessee at December 31, 2020, by year and in the aggregate, were as follows: Year Ending December 31, Amount (in thousands) 2021 $ 5,700 2022 5,145 2023 4,974 2024 4,970 2025 5,088 Thereafter 8,209 Total lease payments $ 34,086
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received, Maturity [Table Text Block]	Both Aireon and L3Harris have made payments for their hosting agreements and will continue to do so. Future income with respect to the Company's operating leases in which it was the lessor at December 31, 2020, by year and in the aggregate, is as follows: Year Ending December 31, Amount (in thousands) 2021 $ 21,445 2022 21,445 2023 21,445 2024 21,445 2025 21,445 Thereafter 98,907 Total lease income $ 206,132

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Debt (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of future payments of credit facility	Future minimum principal repayments with respect to the Company's debt balances, including the mandatory excess cash flow prepayment, existing at December 31, 2020, by year and in the aggregate, are as follows: Year ending December 31, Amount (In thousands) 2021 $ 16,766 2022 16,234 2023 16,500 2024 16,500 2025 16,500 Thereafter 1,555,125 Total debt commitments $ 1,637,625 Less: Original issuance discount 23,966 Less: Total short-term debt 16,766 Total long-term debt, net $ 1,596,893

Stock-Based Compensation (Table

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Schedule of share-based payment award, stock options, valuation assumptions	The following table summarizes weighted-average assumptions used in the Company's calculations of fair value during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018: Year Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Expected volatility 40.78% 39.53% Expected term (years) 6.11 6.11 Expected dividends —% —% Risk free interest rate 2.59% 2.68%
Schedule of Share-based compensation, stock options, activity	A summary of the activity of the Company’s stock options is as follows: Shares Weighted- Weighted- Aggregate (In thousands, except years and per share data) Options outstanding at December 31, 2017 6,856 $ 7.94 Granted 364 15.56 Cancelled or expired (1) 8.59 Exercised (1,477) 8.42 $ 16,614 Forfeited (39) 9.97 Options outstanding at December 31, 2018 5,703 $ 8.29 4.38 $ 57,956 Granted 139 21.12 Cancelled or expired (1) 11.80 Exercised (1,670) 8.11 $ 29,584 Forfeited (18) 11.74 Options outstanding at December 31, 2019 4,153 $ 8.78 4.03 $ 65,887 Cancelled or expired (5) 20.17 Exercised (1,581) 8.14 $ 33,836 Forfeited (13) 18.17 Options outstanding at December 31, 2020 2,554 $ 9.10 3.94 $ 77,182 Options exercisable at December 31, 2020 2,330 $ 8.31 3.59 $ 72,266 Options exercisable and expected to vest at December 31, 2020 2,550 $ 9.09 3.93 $ 77,107
Schedule of share-based compensation, restricted stock units award activity	A summary of the Company’s activity for outstanding RSUs is as follows: RSUs Weighted- (In thousands) Outstanding at December 31, 2017 3,548 $ 8.50 Granted 1,632 11.87 Forfeited (163) 9.69 Released (1,940) 8.64 Outstanding at December 31, 2018 3,077 $ 10.13 Granted 1,058 22.50 Forfeited (102) 14.86 Released (1,331) 10.52 Outstanding at December 31, 2019 2,702 $ 14.62 Granted 1,061 26.73 Forfeited (92) 17.72 Released (1,007) 15.63 Outstanding at December 31, 2020 2,664 $ 18.96 Vested and unreleased at December 31, 2020 (1) 802

Revenue from Contracts with C_2

Revenue from Contracts with Customers Revenue (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Revenue from Contracts with Customers Revenue (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes the Company’s services revenue: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (in thousands) Commercial services: Voice and data $ 168,668 $ 173,167 $ 168,107 IoT data 96,981 96,435 85,054 Broadband 35,959 30,455 25,069 Hosted payload and other data 60,600 49,969 40,527 Total commercial services 362,208 350,026 318,757 Government services 100,887 97,132 88,000 Total services $ 463,095 $ 447,158 $ 406,757
Summary of Company's Engineering and Support Service Revenue [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes the Company’s engineering and support services revenue: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (in thousands) Commercial $ 4,529 $ 2,852 $ 716 Government 29,696 27,578 17,687 Total $ 34,225 $ 30,430 $ 18,403
Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability [Table Text Block]	The contract assets not separately disclosed are as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 (in thousands) Contract Assets: Commissions $ 993 $ 1,116 Other contract costs $ 2,860 $ 3,231

Income Taxes (Tables)

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of income before income tax, domestic and foreign	U.S. and foreign components of income before income taxes are presented below: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) U.S. loss $ (89,251) $ (218,391) $ (22,147) Foreign income 287 272 1,498 Total loss before income taxes $ (88,964) $ (218,119) $ (20,649)
Schedule of components of income tax expense (benefit)	The components of the Company’s income tax provision were as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) Current taxes: Federal tax (benefit) expense $ (688) $ (3,796) $ 17 State tax (benefit) expense 70 37 (91) Foreign tax expense 1,387 1,481 1,163 Total current tax (benefit) expense 769 (2,278) 1,089 Deferred taxes: Federal tax benefit (27,701) (50,690) (9,159) State tax expense (benefit) (5,869) (1,850) 904 Foreign tax benefit (109) (1,302) (99) Total deferred tax benefit (33,679) (53,842) (8,354) Total income tax benefit $ (32,910) $ (56,120) $ (7,265)
Schedule of effective income tax rate reconciliation	A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory income tax expense to the Company’s effective income tax provision is below. Any amounts that do not have a meaningful impact on this reconciliation are not separately disclosed. Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) Expected tax benefit at U.S. federal statutory tax rate $ (18,811) $ (45,790) $ (4,336) State taxes, net of federal benefit (6,723) (15,608) (3,361) State tax valuation allowance 2,561 16,216 10,651 Deferred impact of state tax law changes and elections (1,684) (2,414) (6,481) Equity-based compensation (8,451) (8,227) (3,807) Limitation on executive compensation deduction 960 792 1,568 Other nondeductible items 206 873 298 Tax credits (1,048) (995) (2,872) Foreign taxes and other adjustments 80 (967) 1,075 Total income tax benefit $ (32,910) $ (56,120) $ (7,265)
Schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities	The components of deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows: December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) Deferred tax assets Long-term contracts $ 64,738 $ 69,188 Federal, state and foreign net operating losses, other carryforwards and tax credits 430,273 382,392 Other 22,493 24,137 Total deferred tax assets 517,504 475,717 Valuation allowance (32,218) (29,554) Net deferred tax assets 485,286 446,163 Deferred tax liabilities Fixed assets, intangibles and research and development expenditures (577,955) (565,897) Investment in joint venture (52,203) (60,374) Other (6,283) (7,095) Total deferred tax liabilities (636,441) (633,366) Net deferred income tax liabilities $ (151,155) $ (187,203)
Summary of income tax contingencies	The following is a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits which includes related interest and penalties: 2020 2019 (In thousands) Balance at January 1, $ 953 $ 1,112 Change attributable to tax positions taken in a prior period (416) 38 Change attributable to final assessment — (176) Decrease attributable to lapse of statute of limitations — (21) Balance at December 31, $ 537 $ 953

Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Ta

Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Computations of basic and diluted net income per share	The computations of basic and diluted net loss per common share are set forth below: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands, except per share data) Numerator: Net loss attributable to common stockholders - basic and diluted $ (56,054) $ (166,193) $ (23,533) Denominator: Weighted average common shares - basic and diluted 133,491 125,167 108,975 Net loss attributable to common stockholders per share - basic and diluted $ (0.42) $ (1.33) $ (0.22)
Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	The incremental number of shares underlying stock options and RSUs outstanding with anti-dilutive effects were as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) Anti-dilutive contingent performance-based RSUs 311 285 328 Anti-dilutive stock options 95 198 87 Anti-dilutive preferred shares — 6,104 16,693

Segments, Significant Custome_2

Segments, Significant Customers, Supplier and Service Providers and Geographic Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of long lived assets by geographical areas	Net property and equipment by geographic area was as follows: December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) United States $ 421,930 $ 421,253 Satellites in orbit 2,487,220 2,744,356 All others 7,926 15,190 Total $ 2,917,076 $ 3,180,799
Revenue from external customers by geographic areas	Revenue by geographic area was as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 (In thousands) United States $ 323,605 $ 300,494 $ 276,398 United Kingdom 47,487 50,401 51,344 Other countries (1) 212,347 209,549 195,266 Total $ 583,439 $ 560,444 $ 523,008

Selected Quarterly Informatio_2

Selected Quarterly Information (Unaudited) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Selected Quarterly Information (Unaudited) (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2020
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of quarterly financial information (unaudited)	The following represents the Company’s unaudited quarterly results of operations: Quarter Ended March 31, 2020 June 30, 2020 September 30, 2020 December 31, 2020 (In thousands, except per share data) Revenue $ 145,287 $ 140,173 $ 151,472 $ 146,507 Operating income $ 11,822 $ 5,828 $ 12,733 $ 5,100 Net loss $ (31,702) $ (12,422) $ (4,005) $ (7,925) Net loss per common share - basic and diluted $ (0.24) $ (0.09) $ (0.03) $ (0.06) Quarter Ended March 31, 2019 June 30, 2019 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2019 (In thousands, except per share data) Revenue $ 133,685 $ 143,100 $ 144,785 $ 138,874 Operating income (loss) $ (1,633) $ 3,741 $ 8,011 $ 1 Net loss $ (18,024) $ (18,106) $ (18,012) $ (107,857) Net loss per common share - basic and diluted $ (0.18) $ (0.16) $ (0.14) $ (0.82)

Significant Accounting Polici_4

Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Definition: Three Year Cumulative Inflation Rate - Highly Inflationary Economy	100.00%
Advertising expense	$ 1.2	$ 0.9	$ 0.4
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	The allowance for doubtful accounts was not material as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Obsolete Inventory	The expense for excess and obsolete inventory was not material as of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018.

Significant Accounting Polici_5

Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation - Classification of Stock-based Compensation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Property and equipment, net	$ 1,319	$ 1,187
Inventory	261	237
Share-Based Compensation, Prepaid and Other Assets	28	79
Cost of subscriber equipment	29	23
Cost of services (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	5,037	4,326
Research and development	305	243
Selling, general and administrative	11,343	10,546
Total stock-based compensation	$ 18,322	$ 16,641

Significant Accounting Polici_6

Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation - Schedule of Property and Equipment Useful Lives (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020
Satellites
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	12 years 6 months
Ground system \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	5 years
Ground system \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	7 years
Equipment \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Equipment \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	5 years
Internally developed software and purchased software \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Internally developed software and purchased software \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	7 years
Building
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	39 years
Building improvements \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	5 years
Building improvements \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	39 years

Significant Accounting Polici_7

Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation - Finite Lived Intangible Assets Useful Lives (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Intellectual property
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Definite-lived intangible asset	20 years	20 years
Assembled workforce
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Definite-lived intangible asset	7 years	7 years
Minimum \| Patents
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Definite-lived intangible asset	14 years	14 years
Maximum \| Patents
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Definite-lived intangible asset	20 years	20 years

Cash and Cash Equivalents (Deta

Cash and Cash Equivalents (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items]
Cash	$ 27,168	$ 13,943
Total cash and cash equivalents	237,178	223,561
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items]
Money market funds	208,005	209,618
Fixed income debt securities	$ 2,005	$ 0

Cash and Cash Equivalents and_3

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities - Contractual Maturities of the Fixed Income Debt Securities, Commercial Paper (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost [Abstract]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, Rolling within One Year, Amortized Cost	$ 5,530
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, Rolling after One Through Three Years, Amortized Cost	2,024
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost	7,554
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Fair Value [Abstract]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, Rolling within One Year, Fair Value	5,525
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, Rolling after One Through Three Years, Fair Value	2,023
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale	$ 7,548

Property and Equipment - Summar

Property and Equipment - Summary of Property, Plant, and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Satellite system	$ 3,197,460	$ 3,197,460
Ground system	64,581	66,789
Equipment	44,871	45,406
Internally developed software and purchased software	251,320	241,793
Building and leasehold improvements	29,924	31,050
Property and equipment gross excluding construction in process and land	3,588,156	3,582,498
Less: accumulated depreciation	(959,606)	(682,130)
Property and equipment net excluding construction in process and land	2,628,550	2,900,368
Land	8,037	8,037
Ground Spares	225,254	225,254
Construction in process:
Total other construction-in-process	55,235	47,140
Total property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	$ 2,917,076	$ 3,180,799

Property and Equipment - Constr

Property and Equipment - Construction in Process (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Internally developed software	$ 44,444	$ 38,064
Equipment	10,388	8,983
Ground system	403	93
Total other construction-in-process	$ 55,235	$ 47,140

Property and Equipment - Narrat

Property and Equipment - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciation	$ 301.7	$ 296.1	$ 216.6

Intangible Assets - Indentifiab

Intangible Assets - Indentifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Indefinite life intangible assets:
Net Carrying Value	$ 35,225	$ 35,225
Definite life intangible assets:
Gross Carrying Value	22,513	22,441
Accumulated Amortization	(12,234)	(10,689)
Net Carrying Value	10,279	11,752
Gross Carrying Value	57,738	57,666
Accumulated Amortization	(12,234)	(10,689)
Total intangible assets, Net Carrying Value	$ 45,504	$ 46,977
Intellectual Property
Definite life intangible assets:
Useful Life	20 years	20 years
Gross Carrying Value	$ 16,439	$ 16,439
Accumulated Amortization	(8,927)	(8,217)
Net Carrying Value	$ 7,512	$ 8,222
Assembled workforce
Definite life intangible assets:
Useful Life	7 years	7 years
Gross Carrying Value	$ 5,678	$ 5,678
Accumulated Amortization	(3,244)	(2,433)
Net Carrying Value	2,434	3,245
Patents
Definite life intangible assets:
Gross Carrying Value	396	324
Accumulated Amortization	(63)	(39)
Net Carrying Value	333	285
Trade names
Indefinite life intangible assets:
Net Carrying Value	21,195	21,195
Spectrum and licensing
Indefinite life intangible assets:
Net Carrying Value	$ 14,030	$ 14,030
Minimum \| Patents
Definite life intangible assets:
Useful Life	14 years	14 years
Maximum \| Patents
Definite life intangible assets:
Useful Life	20 years	20 years

Intangible Assets - Narrative (

Intangible Assets - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Amortization of intangible assets	$ 1.5	$ 1.6	$ 1.6

Intangible Assets - Future Amor

Intangible Assets - Future Amortization Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2021	$ 1,548
2022	1,548
2023	1,548
2024	737
2025	737
Thereafter	4,161
Net Carrying Value	$ 10,279	$ 11,752

Leases Narrative (Details)

Leases Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Leases Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Leases [Abstract]
Lessee, Operating Lease, Renewal Term	10 years
Lessee Operating Lease, Termination Option	1 year
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	6 years 8 months 12 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	6.70%
Operating Lease, Expense	$ 5.6	$ 5.1	$ 5.1
Operating Lease, Lease Income	$ 21.4	$ 21.6	$ 17.1
Satellites
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	12 years 6 months

Lease Account Summary (Details)

Lease Account Summary (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset	$ 23,974	$ 27,007
Operating Lease, Liability, Current	3,838	3,397
Operating Lease, Liability, Noncurrent	23,258	26,859
Total Operating Lease Liabilities	$ 27,096	$ 30,256

Lease Future Payment Obligation

Lease Future Payment Obligations (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Rolling Maturity [Abstract]
2021	$ 5,700
2022	5,145
2023	4,974
2024	4,970
2025	5,088
Thereafter	8,209
Total Operating Lease Future Minimum Payments Due	$ 34,086

Lessor Payments to be Received

Lessor Payments to be Received (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments, Rolling Maturity [Abstract]
2021	$ 21,445
2022	21,445
2023	21,445
2024	21,445
2025	21,445
Thereafter	98,907
Total Operating Lease Payments to be Received	$ 206,132

Debt Narrative (Details)

Debt Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Debt Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)Rate	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)	Feb. 07, 2020USD ($)	Nov. 04, 2019USD ($)Rate
Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 1,637,625
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate \| Rate	3.75%
Unamortized Deferred Financing Costs	$ 24,000	$ 26,600
Credit Facility Carrying Amount	1,613,600	1,423,400
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	1,647,900	1,468,100
Excess cash flow prepayment	$ 12,600
Ratio of Indebtedness to Net Capital					6.25
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate During Period \| Rate	5.70%
Interest Costs Incurred	$ 98,600	140,100	$ 142,700
Total Debt - Amortization of Deferred Financing Costs	3,800	21,600	$ 26,500
Interest Costs Capitalized	3,200	15,100
Interest payable	200	7,800
Total Long Term Debt, Net	$ 1,596,893
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross					$ 100,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate \| Rate	3.75%
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.50%
Credit Facility Drawdown Floor for Application of First Lien Net Leverage Ratio \| Rate					35.00%
Term Loan B (Original) [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		1,450,000			$ 1,450,000
Discount on Debt Issuance - Term Loan B \| Rate					99.50%
Term Loan B (Additional) [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross				$ 200,000
Debt Premium Percentage				1.00%
Unsecured Debt [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross		360,000
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage \| Rate	105.125%
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount	$ 360,000
Redemption Premium	$ 23,500
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium) and Debt Issuance Costs, Net		7,000
Total Long Term Debt, Net		$ 353,000
Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate \| Rate	1.00%
Interest Rate Floor [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate \| Rate	0.00%

Debt Future Payments (Details)

Debt Future Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Senior Unsecured Notes [Line Items]
2021	$ 16,766
2022	16,234
2023	16,500
2024	16,500
2025	16,500
Thereafter	1,555,125
Total Commitments	1,637,625
Original issuance discount	23,966
Total short-term debt	16,766
Total Long Term Debt, Net	$ 1,596,893

Derivative Instruments (Details

Derivative Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Derivative Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Interest Rate Swaps [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 1,000
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	9.1	$ 0.3
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Cash Flow Hedge, Gain (Loss), Reclassification, Tax	7	0.1
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Arising During Period, Tax	$ 2.5
Interest Rate Swaption [Member]
Interest Rate Swaps [Line Items]
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	0.50%
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Liability at Fair Value	$ 4.4	0.9
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Interest Rate Swaps [Line Items]
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	1.565%
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Liability at Fair Value	$ 5.2
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Asset at Fair Value		$ 0.8

Stock-Based Compensation Narrat

Stock-Based Compensation Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of additional shares authorized under plan	2,542,664
Total number of shares authorized under plan					30,944,912
Number of shares available for future grant					11,883,391
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Purchase Price of Common Stock, Percent					100.00%
Share-Based Compensation Award, Reduction in Shares Available for Issuance by Shares Issued Pursuant to Any Stock Award that is not an Appreciation Award					1.8
Restricted stock units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employee service share-based compensation, nonvested awards, compensation cost not yet recognized, total					$ 17.8
Employee service share-based compensation, nonvested awards, compensation cost not yet recognized, period for recognition					1 year 3 months 21 days
Restricted Stock or Unit Expense					$ 17.2	$ 15.2	$ 15.2
Employee stock option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, options, grants in period, gross					0	139,000	364,000
Allocated share-based compensation expense					$ 1.1	$ 1.4	$ 1.5
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, options, grants in period, weighted average grant date fair value					$ 0	$ 9.18	$ 6.63
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, options, vested in period, fair value					$ 1.4	$ 1.4	$ 1.4
Employee service share-based compensation, nonvested awards, compensation cost not yet recognized, total					$ 1.5
Employee service share-based compensation, nonvested awards, compensation cost not yet recognized, period for recognition					1 year 6 months
Service based R S U
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation, restricted stock units					713,000	740,000	900,000
Fair value of restricted stock units					$ 19.1	$ 16.9	$ 10.7
Employee \| Restricted stock units (RSUs) \| Percent vested after first year of service
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Quarterly vesting percentage after first year anniversary					25.00%	25.00%	25.00%
Employee \| Restricted stock units (RSUs) \| Percent vesting quarterly after first year of service
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Quarterly vesting percentage after first year anniversary					6.25%	6.25%	6.25%
Employee \| Employee stock option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, terms of award					ten years	ten years	ten years
Share-based compensation vesting period					4 years	4 years	4 years
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, options, grants in period, gross						0
Grant date fair value of stock options					$ 0	$ 1.3	$ 2.4
Employee \| Employee stock option \| Percent vested after first year of service
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Quarterly vesting percentage after first year anniversary					25.00%	25.00%	25.00%
Employee \| Employee stock option \| Percent vesting quarterly after first year of service
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Quarterly vesting percentage after first year anniversary					6.25%	6.25%	6.25%
Non employee consultants \| Restricted stock units (RSUs) \| Percent vesting quarterly after first year of service
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Quarterly vesting percentage after first year anniversary					12.50%	12.50%	12.50%
Non employee consultants \| Service based R S U
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation, restricted stock units					10,000	11,000	14,000
Fair value of restricted stock units					$ 0.2	$ 0.2
Non employee consultants \| Service based R S U \| Vesting on the First Anniversary of Grant Date [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting rights percentage					50.00%	50.00%	50.00%
Executives and Employees \| Performance Based Bonus R S U
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation, restricted stock units		115,000	125,000	474,000
Fair value of restricted stock units		$ 3.1	$ 2.9	$ 5.6
Employee Executives \| Performance Based Bonus R S U
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation, restricted stock units					144,000	96,000	134,000
Fair value of restricted stock units					$ 3.9	$ 2.2	$ 1.6
Employee Executives \| Performance Shares \| Vesting in march in year after performance period end
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting rights percentage					50.00%
Employee Executives \| Performance Shares \| Vesting in march of third year after grant
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting rights percentage					50.00%
Employee Executives \| Performance Shares \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting rights percentage					0.00%
Employee Executives \| Performance Shares \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting rights percentage					150.00%
Board of directors chairman \| Service based R S U
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation, restricted stock units					58,000	76,000	110,000
Fair value of restricted stock units					$ 1.4	$ 1.4	$ 1.3
Over-Perform [Member] \| Employee Executives \| Performance Based Bonus R S U
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation, restricted stock units					20,000	11,000	1,000

Stock-Based Compensation Fair V

Stock-Based Compensation Fair Value Of Options Granted (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Weighted Average Volatility Rate	40.78%	39.53%
Expected term (years)	6 years 1 month 9 days	6 years 1 month 9 days
Expected dividends	0.00%	0.00%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate	2.59%	2.68%

Stock-Based Compensation Activi

Stock-Based Compensation Activity Of Company's Stock Options (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding
Options outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)	4,153	5,703	6,856
Options Cancelled or expired - Shares	(5)	(1)	(1)
Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Stock Options Exercised	$ 33,836	$ 29,584	$ 16,614
Options Exercised - Shares	(1,581)	(1,670)	(1,477)
Options Forfeited - Shares	(13)	(18)	(39)
Options outstanding, end of period (in shares)	2,554	4,153	5,703
Options exercisable, end of period (in shares)	2,330
Options exercisable and expected to vest, end of period (in shares)	2,550
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Options outstanding, beginning of period - weighted average exercise price per share	$ 8.78	$ 8.29	$ 7.94
Options granted - weighted average exercise price per share		21.12	15.56
Options cancelled or expired - weighted average exercise price per share	20.17	11.80	8.59
Options exercised - weighted average exercise price per share	8.14	8.11	8.42
Options forfeited - weighted average exercise price per share	18.17	11.74	9.97
Options outstanding, end of period - weighted average exercise price per share	9.10	$ 8.78	$ 8.29
Options exercisable, end of period - weighted average exercise price per share	8.31
Options exercisable and expected to vest, end of period- weighted average exercise price per share	$ 9.09
Options outstanding, end of period - weighted average remaining contractual term (years)	3 years 11 months 8 days	4 years 10 days	4 years 4 months 17 days
Options exercisable, end of period - weighted average remaining contractual term (years)	3 years 7 months 2 days
Options exercisable and expected to vest, end of period - Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)	3 years 11 months 4 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding, end of period - aggregate intrinsic value	$ 77,182	$ 65,887	$ 57,956
Options exercisable, end of period - aggregate intrinsic value	72,266
Options exercisable and expected to vest, end of period - aggregate intrinsic value	$ 77,107

Stock-Based Compensation Outsta

Stock-Based Compensation Outstanding RSUs (Details) - Outstanding Restricted Stock Units - $ / shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
RSUs
Outstanding - restricted stock units	2,702	3,077	3,548
Granted - restricted stock units	1,061	1,058	1,632
Forfeited - restricted stock units	(92)	(102)	(163)
Released - restricted stock units	(1,007)	(1,331)	(1,940)
Outstanding - restricted stock units	2,664	2,702	3,077
Vested - restricted stock units	802
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Outstanding - weighted average grant date fair value per RSU	$ 14.62	$ 10.13	$ 8.50
Granted - weighted average grant date fair value per RSU	26.73	22.50	11.87
Forfeited - weighted average grant date fair value per RSU	17.72	14.86	9.69
Released - weighted average grant date fair value per RSU	15.63	10.52	8.64
Outstanding - weighted average grant date fair value per RSU	$ 18.96	$ 14.62	$ 10.13

Equity Transactions Narrative (

Equity Transactions Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Feb. 05, 2021	Dec. 31, 2013
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares authorized				2,000,000
Preferred stock, par value				$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares issued								1,500,000
Shares of preferred stock, undesignated and unissued				500,000
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount							$ 300,000
Treasury Stock, Value, Acquired, Cost Method				$ 0
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired				0
Common stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Convertible Securities					16,628,000	10,702,000
Series A preferred stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, par value				$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares issued				1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock dividends declared and paid income statement impact				$ 0	$ 0	$ 1,750
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding				0	0
Series B preferred stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, par value				$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares issued				500,000	500,000
Preferred stock dividends declared and paid income statement impact				$ 0	$ 4,194	$ 2,109
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding				0	0
Series B preferred stock \| Public Offering [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares issued	500,000
Price Per Share Of Preferred Stock	$ 250
Series B preferred stock \| Private offering
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Dividend rate on preferred stock	6.75%
Annual rate of preferred stock, per share		$ 11.21
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Convertible Securities		16,627,632
Preferred stock dividends declared and paid income statement impact				$ 8,400
Series B preferred stock \| Private offering \| Minimum
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Terms of Conversion			20
Series B preferred stock \| Private offering \| Maximum
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Terms of Conversion			30
Series B [Member] \| Private offering
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Annual rate of preferred stock, per share	$ 16.875

Revenue from Contracts with C_3

Revenue from Contracts with Customers Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$ 9,464				$ 10,739				$ 9,464	$ 10,739
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Noncontrolling Interest									(88,964)	(218,119)	$ (20,649)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									32,910	56,120	7,265
Deferred revenue	32,412				39,080				32,412	39,080
Deferred revenue, net of current portion	51,258				67,092				51,258	67,092
Other long-term liabilities	25,203				29,284				25,203	29,284
Contract with Customer, Liability, Revenue Recognized									41,100	43,000
Net income (loss)	(7,925)	$ (4,005)	$ (12,422)	$ (31,702)	(107,857)	$ (18,012)	$ (18,106)	$ (18,024)	(56,054)	(161,999)	(13,384)
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	$ 275,915				$ 331,969				275,915	331,969
Engineering and Support Services [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									34,225	30,430	18,403
Commercial Voice and Data Services [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									168,668	173,167	168,107
Commercial IoT Data Services [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									96,981	96,435	85,054
Hosted Payload and Other Data Services [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									60,600	49,969	40,527
Commercial Service Revenue [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									362,208	350,026	318,757
Government Services [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									100,887	97,132	88,000
Service [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									463,095	447,158	406,757
Commercial Broadband Services
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									35,959	30,455	25,069
Commercial [Member] \| Engineering and Support Services [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									4,529	2,852	716
US Government [Member] \| Engineering and Support Services [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax									29,696	27,578	$ 17,687
Commissions [Member]
Contract Assets Not Separately Disclosed									993	1,116
Other Contract Costs [Member]
Contract Assets Not Separately Disclosed									$ 2,860	$ 3,231

Income Taxes - U.S and Foreign

Income Taxes - U.S and Foreign Components Of Income Before Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
U.S. loss	$ (89,251)	$ (218,391)	$ (22,147)
Foreign income	287	272	1,498
Total loss before income taxes	$ (88,964)	$ (218,119)	$ (20,649)

Income Taxes - Components of Co

Income Taxes - Components of Company's Income Tax Provision (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current taxes:
Federal tax (benefit) expense	$ (688)	$ (3,796)	$ 17
State tax (benefit) expense	70	37	(91)
Foreign tax expense	1,387	1,481	1,163
Total current tax (benefit) expense	769	(2,278)	1,089
Deferred taxes:
Federal tax benefit	(27,701)	(50,690)	(9,159)
State tax expense (benefit)	(5,869)	(1,850)	904
Foreign tax benefit	(109)	(1,302)	(99)
Total deferred tax benefit	(33,679)	(53,842)	(8,354)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ (32,910)	$ (56,120)	$ (7,265)

Income Taxes - Narrative (Detai

Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent			21.00%	35.00%
Tax cuts and jobs act of 2017, change in tax rate, provisional income tax benefit				$ 150,900
Deferred income tax assets, net	$ 3,900
Deferred income tax liabilities, net	155,100
Deferred impact of state tax law changes and elections	(1,684)	$ (2,414)	$ (6,481)
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	32,218	29,554
Deferred tax assets, in process research and development	10,000	9,500
Deferred tax assets, tax credit carryforwards, foreign	5,700	5,200
Foreign tax credit carry forward valuation allowance increase	1,100
Deferred tax assets, tax credit carryforwards, alternative minimum tax			$ 3,600
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds	1,800	1,800
Unrecognized tax benefits, period increase (decrease)	500	1,000
Domestic tax authority
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforwards	319,900	280,500
Foreign tax authority
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforwards	69,700	54,500
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	500	800
Valuation Allowance, Operating Loss Carryforwards \| State and Local Jurisdiction
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation allowance, deferred tax asset, increase (decrease), amount	(30,200)	(27,700)
Tax Year 2022 and Later \| Foreign tax authority
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforwards	$ 700	$ 900

Income Taxes - Effective Income

Income Taxes - Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Expected tax benefit at U.S. federal statutory tax rate	$ (18,811)	$ (45,790)	$ (4,336)
State taxes, net of federal benefit	(6,723)	(15,608)	(3,361)
State tax valuation allowance	2,561	16,216	10,651
Deferred impact of state tax law changes and elections	(1,684)	(2,414)	(6,481)
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Nondeductible Expense, Share-based Payment Arrangement, Amount	(8,451)	(8,227)	(3,807)
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Limitation on Executive Compensation	960	792	1,568
Other nondeductible items	206	873	298
Tax credits	(1,048)	(995)	(2,872)
Foreign taxes and other adjustments	80	(967)	1,075
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ (32,910)	$ (56,120)	$ (7,265)

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Ass

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Deferred tax assets
Long-term contracts	$ 64,738	$ 69,188
Federal, state and foreign net operating losses, other carryforwards and tax credits	430,273	382,392
Other	22,493	24,137
Total deferred tax assets	517,504	475,717
Valuation allowance	(32,218)	(29,554)
Net deferred tax assets	485,286	446,163
Deferred tax liabilities
Fixed assets, intangibles and research and development expenditures	(577,955)	(565,897)
Investment in joint venture	(52,203)	(60,374)
Other	(6,283)	(7,095)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(636,441)	(633,366)
Net deferred income tax liabilities	$ (151,155)	$ (187,203)

Income Taxes - Unrecognized Tax

Income Taxes - Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Balance at January 1,	$ 953	$ 1,112
Change attributable to tax positions taken in a prior period	(416)	38
Change attributable to final assessment	0	(176)
Decrease attributable to lapse of statute of limitations	0	(21)
Balance at December 31,	$ 537	$ 953

Net Income (Loss) Per Share - S

Net Income (Loss) Per Share - Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Numerator:
Net loss attributable to common stockholders - basic and diluted									$ (56,054)	$ (166,193)	$ (23,533)
Denominator:
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic and Diluted									133,491	125,167	108,975
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	$ (0.06)	$ (0.03)	$ (0.09)	$ (0.24)	$ (0.82)	$ (0.14)	$ (0.16)	$ (0.18)	$ (0.42)	$ (1.33)	$ (0.22)

Net Income (Loss) Per Share - A

Net Income (Loss) Per Share - Anti-Dilutive Shares (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Performance Shares
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	311	285	328
Share-based Payment Arrangement
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	95	198	87
Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	0	6,104	16,693

Related Party Transaction Dis_2

Related Party Transaction Disclosure Related Party Transactions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		35.70%
Equity Method Investee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Related Parties		$ 2.3	$ 1.4
Data Services Agreement [Member] \| Equity Method Investee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue from Related Parties		23.9	12.6	$ 9.1
Amended Hosting Agreement [Member] \| Equity Method Investee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue from Related Parties		16.1	$ 16	$ 13.9
Aireon Investor Bridge Loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments		0.2
Investor Bridge Loan Commitment		10.7
Line of Credit [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party, Receipt of Hosting Fees		54.5
Forecast [Member] \| Hosting Agreement [Member] \| Equity Method Investee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Hosting Fees		$ 200
Related Party Transaction, Power Fees per Year	$ 3.7
Related Party Transaction, Data Service Fees	$ 19.8

Segments, Significant Custome_3

Segments, Significant Customers, Supplier and Service Providers and Geographic Information Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
No Single Customer Over 10% Total Revenue - Commercial	10.00%	10.00%
No Single Customer Over 10% Total Revenue - Government	10.00%	10.00%
No Single Country Greater than Stated Percentage - PP&E		10.00%
Sales revenue, net \| Prime contracts with U.S. government
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	22.00%	22.00%	20.00%
Accounts receivable \| Prime contracts with U.S. government
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	35.00%	39.00%

Segments, Significant Custome_4

Segments, Significant Customers, Supplier and Service Providers and Geographic Information Net Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, net	$ 2,917,076	$ 3,180,799
United states
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, net	421,930	421,253
Satellites in orbit
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,487,220	2,744,356
All others
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, net	$ 7,926	$ 15,190

Segments, Significant Custome_5

Segments, Significant Customers, Supplier and Service Providers and Geographic Information Revenue By Geographic (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 146,507	$ 151,472	$ 140,173	$ 145,287	$ 138,874	$ 144,785	$ 143,100	$ 133,685	$ 583,439	$ 560,444	$ 523,008
No Single Country or Region Representing More Than Stated Percentage of Total Revenue									10.00%	10.00%
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									$ 323,605	$ 300,494	276,398
United Kingdom
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									47,487	50,401	51,344
Other countries
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									$ 212,347	$ 209,549	$ 195,266

Employee Benefit Plan Narrative

Employee Benefit Plan Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Defined-contribution plan matching employees’ contributions vested percentage	100.00%
Maximum employee contribution percentage	100.00%
Maximum deferral contribution percentage	5.00%
Defined-contribution plan employer-matching contributions amount	$ 3.1	$ 3.1	$ 3

Schedule of Quarterly Financial

Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 146,507	$ 151,472	$ 140,173	$ 145,287	$ 138,874	$ 144,785	$ 143,100	$ 133,685	$ 583,439	$ 560,444	$ 523,008
Operating income (loss)	5,100	12,733	5,828	11,822	1	8,011	3,741	(1,633)	35,483	10,120	41,653
Net income (loss)	$ (7,925)	$ (4,005)	$ (12,422)	$ (31,702)	$ (107,857)	$ (18,012)	$ (18,106)	$ (18,024)	$ (56,054)	$ (161,999)	$ (13,384)
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	$ (0.06)	$ (0.03)	$ (0.09)	$ (0.24)	$ (0.82)	$ (0.14)	$ (0.16)	$ (0.18)	$ (0.42)	$ (1.33)	$ (0.22)

Subsequent Event (Details)

Subsequent Event (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Subsequent Event (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Jan. 20, 2021
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		3.75%
Refinancing costs			$ 3.4
Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		1.00%
Refinanced Term Loan B [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount			$ 1,637.6
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.75%
Refinanced Term Loan B [Member] \| Interest Rate Floor [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.00%