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December 30, 2011
TMCnet Contributor
To provide mobile satellite voice and data services to commercial customers and recreational consumers in more than 120 countries around the world, Globalstar (News - Alert), Inc. has launched six new second-generation Globalstar satellites from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
According to a press release, the Globalstar satellites were launched on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 11:09:02 p.m. local Baikonur time (5:09 p.m. UTC and 12:09 p.m. EST) using the Soyuz-Fregat version of the Soyuz launch vehicle. The new satellites are developed to last for 15 years, twice the lifespan of Globalstar's first generation satellites. The company offers the world's most extensive lineup of high quality mobile satellite services to the broadest range of commercial and retail consumer customers around the world.
"It is with great pleasure that we announce the successful third launch and continued deployment of our second-generation constellation," said Tony Navarra, President of Global Operations for Globalstar, Inc. "We are now only one launch away from completing our four second-generation satellite launches and we look forward to the future services our new constellation will support. 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 (News - Alert) Alenia Space for this launch success."
Arianespace have made this sure that the upper stage accurately injected the six second-generation satellites into the targeted low earth orbit of approximately 920 km. Globalstar reports that all six satellites have been successfully got following separation of the Fregat Upper Stage and release from the satellite dispenser.
Globalstar signed a contract with satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space in late 2006 and four satellite launches, out of these six satellite launches were done form Arianespace (News - Alert). The first launch was conducted in October 2010 and the second launch was completed in July of this year.
Mandira Srivastava is a TMCnet contributor. She works as a full-time writer, ghostwriter and blogger, and has more than two years of experience in print and Web media. She has also worked on company brochures, website content and product descriptions, as well as proofreading and editing content. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Rich Steeves