Globalstar System Status Update - Oct. 2010
Globalstar Satellite Communication has announced the long awaited launch date for the first six of its replacement satellites. These satellites will begin to restore the Globalstar constellation to its fully functional state. The launch date has been set as October 19th, 2010.
A total of four launches carrying six satellites each will be conducted by launch services provider Arianespace using the Soyuz launch vehicle which has been used to successfully launch Globalstar satellites on eight previous occasions. The Company plans to integrate the 24 new second-generation satellites with the eight first-generation satellites that were launched in 2007, to form a 32 satellite constellation.
The Globalstar system provides portable satellite phone service as well as the popular SPOT tracker functionality. The new constellation is expected to be fully operational in 2011, and provide services out to 2025. In addition to restoring the voice capability of the Globalstar Network, the new design is planned to provide data and internet speeds of up to 256kbs.
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