A Soyuz launch vehicle carrying six new Globalstar second-generation satellites successfully lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on July 13, 2011. The satellites are to be used to provide mobile satellite voice and data services to commercial customers and retail consumers around the world. (Photo courtesy of Arianespace)
Globalstar, Inc.’s (Nasdaq:GSAT) six new second-generation (2G) Globalstar satellites were successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, using the Soyuz launch vehicle. The Globalstar satellites were launched on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, at 8:27 a.m. local time (2:27 a.m. UTC and 10:27 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 12, 2011), using the Soyuz-Fregat version of the Soyuz launch vehicle. This is the 1774th successful launch of the Soyuz family launch vehicle.
Launch services provider Arianespace confirmed that the upper stage accurately injected the six 2G satellites into the targeted low earth orbit of approximately 920 km. Globalstar reports that all six satellites have been successfully acquired following separation of the Fregat Upper Stage and release from the satellite dispenser. Globalstar has initiated satellite in-orbit testing and the performance of all six spacecraft is nominal at this time.
“It is with great pleasure that we announce the successful second launch and continued deployment of our second-generation satellites and we look forward to the future services the constellation will support,” said Tony Navarra, President of Global Operations for Globalstar, Inc. “With these six new satellites now safely in orbit, we once again congratulate and applaud all of our Globalstar employees world-wide and thank launch provider Arianespace as well as our satellite contractor Thales Alenia Space for this launch success.”
Globalstar constellation, image courtesy of Thales Alenia Space
