A Soyuz rocket carrying the final batch of six next generation Globalstar satellites successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 6 February.
Launch services provider Arianespace confirmed that the upper stage accurately injected…
A Soyuz rocket carrying the final batch of six next generation Globalstar satellites successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 6 February.
Launch services provider Arianespace confirmed that the upper stage accurately injected the six Thales Alenia Space-built satellites into their targeted low earth orbit at approximately 920 km and Globalstar has now begun initial satellite in-orbit testing. All six spacecraft are operating normally at this time.
Globalstar expects to place these final six second-generation satellites into commercial service by this summer, with the first two being raised and placed into service by the end of February.
This was the fourth and final Soyuz launch of Globalstar’s new 24 satellite constellation, following similar missions in October 2010, July 2011 and December 2011.
Tony Navarra, president of global operations for Globalstar, said: “I am pleased to announce the successful final launch of our second-generation constellation. In 2006, we set out to be the first mobile satellite services company to successfully deploy a second-generation constellation of LEO satellites. This extraordinary undertaking took years of dedicated effort and a singularly focused mindset to complete the mission.”
Globalstar will hope that with its new constellation almost fully operational it can push ahead with its plan to tap the retail consumer market with its SPOT-branded satellite messaging and emergency notification products.
The company recently secured a committed issuer managed equity financing facility of up to US$30m from Terrapin Opportunity, which will help fund its capital obligations over the next two years.
In September 2012, Globalstar signed a contract for the manufacture and delivery of six additional second generation satellites from Thales Alenia Space.
The new satellites, which will be technically identical to the next generation spacecraft, are expected to be delivered and launched in 2015. The contract also provides Globalstar an option to order as many as 24 more satellites in the future.
The aggregate purchase price of the six spacecraft is €149.9m, payable over 34 months after the first payment.
