Globalstar, last week, ordered 50 satellites from Canada’s MDA Space. It has now been revealed that the C$1.1 billion (€0.74bn) order reflects a request made to the FCC on February 14th for authorization for Globalstar’s C-3 System, which is a 48-satellite Low Earth orbiting system which complements its Gen3 satellites (and filed with the ITU as ‘AST-NG-C-3’).
The system is mostly funded by Apple loo and intended to “feature higher gain and higher EIRP transmit technology, dynamic beamforming, and more robust signal strength”.
The application to the FCC talks of serving the US market and when in place the new satellites will “augment the services that Globalstar provides today”. Globalstar has six of the C-3 craft orbiting at 680 kms altitude. The new system will orbit at 1,414 kms altitude and the craft will have a lifetime of about 12.5 years.
The investment will include building about 90 new Earth station antennas at 35 gateways “around the world in at least 25 countries and territories”.
However, the full picture may also need extra explanation from the company — and Apple — because the French regulatory authority (ANFR, Agence nationale des fréquences) has filed an application with the International Telecoms Union in Geneva for what it calls ‘AST-NG-C-4’ and which specifies a total of 8,834 satellites operating between 415-1, 500 kms altitude, and which specifically includes transmission frequencies used or reserved by Globalstar.
This French filing was initially made on behalf of Airbus Space & Defense but apparently transferred to CCC Communication Holdings France, a French entity with €8.6 million capital stock incorporated in June 2022 and managed by Peter Ronald Denwood who is reported to be a Director, Corporate Law – International with Apple Inc.
