Globalstar Plans to Launch Four Satellites

Satellite communication service provider Globalstar expects a Soyuz launch of four satellites to occur by or before mid-February, following yesterday's signing of the Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) by the US, Russia, and Kazakhstan. This TSA is a comprehensive trilateral agreement governing the conditions under which US satellites can be launched from Baikonur.

"We are pleased that the TSA is now in place. This allows us to resume our launch campaign with our first Soyuz launch," says Bernard Schwartz, chairman and CEO of Globalstar.

Globalstar Soyuz launch readiness team has been conducting ground processing work since early January. Until now, the team has been limited to just fueling and mating the satellites. Now that the TSA is complete, this team can engage in joint operations in the Russian launch teams at Baikonur or begin as well as begin integration of the dispenser onto the Russian-built Ikar upper stage.

Following the February launch, Globalstar will run three more Soyuz launches, each carrying four satellites, through April. These launches will be followed by a series of three Delta II launches, each carrying four satellites between May and August, two additional Soyuz launches in September and October, and two more Delta II launches in November and December.

"With resumption of our schedule, we will launch four satellites roughly every 30 says," Schwartz says. "This will result in 32 satellites in orbit by the summer of 1999 and enable a 1999 start of commercial services. A total of 52 satellites, 48 in operation plus four in-orbit spares, will be in orbit by December 1999."

Globalstar will use this 48-satellite low-Earth-orbit (LEO) constellation to deliver personal communication services to users through out the world. These services these satellites to deliver phone, data, messaging, fax, and position location services.