Starsem successfully launched four more satellites of the Globalstar constellation from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz launcher lifted off on Monday, October 18 at 7:32 p.m. Baikonur local time. The four telecommunications satellites were placed as planned into a circular orbit, inclined 52¿, at 920 kilometers altitude.
Starsem, whose partners are Aerospatiale Matra, Arianespace, the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (RKA), and the Samara Space Center, operates the commercial launch services for the Soyuz family of launchers. The first four Starsem launches took place respectively February 9, March 15, April 15, and September 22, 1999, placing 16 Globalstar satellites in orbit.
For this mission once again, the Soyuz launcher was equipped with the re-ignitable Ikar upper stage, developed by the Samara Space Center, as well as the payload dispenser built by Aerospatiale Matra Lanceurs, which enables the separation of the four satellites.
The Globalstar constellation is designed to ensure mobile telecommunication services with worldwide coverage, and was inaugurated on October 11 at Telecom 99 in Geneva. With today's launch of four satellites, there are now 44 Globalstar satellites in orbit (eight satellites were launched in early 1998, and 32 during 1999).
The latest four Globalstar satellites, manufactured by prime contractor Space Systems/Loral, will form an important part of Globalstar's phased roll-out of services. The company is on schedule to launch eight satellites to be launched in November and December. This will complete its planned constellation of 48 satellites with four on-orbit spares.
All four Globalstar satellites from today's launch were separated from the upper stage of the rocket at an altitude of 920 kilometers (571 miles) above the Earth.
Flight engineers at Globalstar's ground control center in San Jose, Calif., subsequently acquired the satellites using the six Globalstar telemetry command unit gateways located in Aussaguel, France; Yeoju, South Korea; Dubbo, Australia; Bosque Allegre, Argentina; Delareyville, South Africa; and Clifton, Texas.
Globalstar engineering teams will raise these satellites to their operational altitude of 1,414 kilometers (877 miles) over the next several weeks.
Of the two remaining launches, the first will take place in November from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakahstan. The final four satellites are scheduled to be launched this year from Cape Canaveral aboard a Delta II rocket in December.
