Soyuz Contacted to Launch Globalstar Satellites
Russian launch supplier Soyuz with the French has created a joint venture called Starsem. Starsem is contracted to launch the four Globalstar satellites from Baikonur in the first half of 2007. There will be an option for a second launch; contract terms were not disclosed. They will use a Eurockot to launch the replacement satellites for Globalstar’s mobile constellation. A Eurockot booster was to orbit ESA’s Cryosat ice measurement spacecraft on Oct. 8, 2005. Starsem successfully launched twenty four Globalstar satellites between February and November of 1999. The twenty four Globalstar satellites launched by Starsem made up one half of the original constellation. Starsem used six Soyuz launch vehicles to accomplish this. The other half of the constellation where launched by Delta 2 vehicles. Since the constellation was originally placed in orbit, a number of satellites have suffered on-orbit failures, however Globalstar has since changed from a 48 constellation to a 40 satellite constellation. The eight satellites which include four replacement satellites where built before Globalstar’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2002. Globalstar has since emerged from Chapter 22 under new ownership. This new ownership is said to be setting back funds to invest in a second constellation to be placed in orbit in the future.Globalstar has recently invested in a new ground stations in Sebring, Florida. This ground station in on-line and fully operational. The Sebring ground station has greatly improved the Globalstar coverage in the Bahamas and eastern Caribbean. Globalstar provided both voice and data coverage everywhere in the Caribbean.
Globalstar is moving forward with the construction of a new which will be located in Wasilla, Alaska. This new gateway will provide enhanced voice and data services, including e-mail, internet access and enterprise data solutions in Alaska and the Yukon where the Globalstar coverage has been sparse in the past. The Globalstar gateway should become fully functional in mid-2006, subject to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval.
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