In a message dated 98-06-09 22:57:22 EDT, you write: << But remember that the Iridium "flare" is the reflection from the solar panels, which cannot be covered so easily as with some kind of paint. >> Actually, according to the website that describes the workings of a Iridium satellite, it states that the Main Mission Antenna (MMA) appears to be the mechanism providing the flare...not the solar panels. GeoZay