Starsem successfully launched four Globalstar satellites for Globalstar, Inc., a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, government, and individuals.
The Soyuz launch vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan right on schedule at 2:12 am local time on Sunday October 21 (8:12 pm UTC on Saturday October 20; 10:12 pm Paris time on Saturday October 20). It was the 1726th launch of a rocket from the Soyuz family, the 9th Soyuz mission in 2007 and the 19th successful Starsem launch.
Starsem and its Russian partners confirm that the Fregat upper stage accurately injected the four Globalstar satellites into the targeted low Earth orbit at 920 km altitude. Fregat was ignited twice to place the four satellites into orbit 1 hour, 42 minutes after lift-off. Satellites acquisition and health status will be confirmed independently by Globalstar Inc.
These satellites, together with four satellites successfully launched by Starsem last May will augment the current operating constellation through the launch of the Globalstar second generation satellites.
Beginning in 2009, Arianespace will perform the launch of the 24 Globalstar new constellation satellites using four Soyuz launch vehicles at Guiana Space Center (CSG).
With the introduction of Soyuz at CSG, this famed Russian medium-class launch vehicle becomes an integral part of the European launch vehicle fleet, together with the heavy-lift Ariane 5 and the lightweight Vega. To be offered to the commercial market, the Soyuz at CSG is Europe’s reference medium-class launch vehicle for governmental and commercial missions.
Starsem is the Soyuz Company, bringing together all key players involved in the production, operation and international commercial marketing of the world’s most versatile launch vehicle. Shareholders in Starsem are Arianespace, Astrium, the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Samara Space Center. The Starsem manifest for the coming months includes the launch of the Radarsat-2 observation satellite and the launch of the Giove-B satellite.
