3 0 ▁sat ell ites , ▁ ▁of ▁mater iel ) ▁in ▁LE O ▁or bits ▁at ▁approximately ▁ ▁alt itude , ▁where ▁self - dec ay ▁is ▁quite ▁slow . ▁ 2 9 ▁of ▁these ▁sat ell ites ▁simply ▁failed ▁during ▁their ▁time ▁in ▁orbit ▁and ▁were ▁thus ▁unable ▁to ▁self - de or bit , ▁while ▁one — I rid ium ▁ 3 3 — was ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁satellite ▁collision ▁with ▁the ▁der el ict ▁Russian ▁military ▁Kos mos - 2 2 5 1 ▁satellite . ▁No ▁" Plan ▁B " ▁provision ▁was ▁designed ▁in ▁for ▁removal ▁of ▁the ▁sat ell ites ▁that ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁remove ▁themselves . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁I rid ium ▁CE O ▁Matt ▁D esch ▁said ▁that ▁I rid ium ▁would ▁be ▁willing ▁to ▁pay ▁an ▁active - de br is - rem oval ▁company ▁to ▁de or bit ▁its ▁remaining ▁first - gener ation ▁sat ell ites ▁if ▁it ▁were ▁possible ▁for ▁a ▁sufficiently ▁low ▁cost , ▁say ▁" ▁per ▁de or bit , ▁but ▁[ he ] ▁acknowled ged ▁that ▁price ▁would ▁likely ▁be ▁far ▁below ▁what ▁a ▁de br is - rem oval ▁company ▁could ▁real ist ically ▁offer . ▁' You ▁know ▁at ▁what ▁point ▁[ it ’ s ] ▁a ▁no - bra iner , ▁but ▁[ I ] ▁expect ▁the ▁cost ▁is ▁really ▁in ▁the ▁millions ▁or ▁tens ▁of ▁millions , ▁at ▁which ▁price ▁I ▁know ▁it ▁doesn