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OTHER GLOBALSTAR LINKS:
OVERVIEW: GSP-1600 & GSP-1700 (specs) Compare to Iridium and BGAN Current Network Status OTHER GLOBALSTAR EQUIPMENT: GSP-2900 (specs) FAU-200 (specs) SAT-550 GSP-1620 Car Kits OTHER ACCESSORIES: Solar Chargers Secure Voice & Data
CURRENT NEWS: Four Globalstar Inc. satellites were launched October 21, 2007 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, using the Soyuz-Fregat version of the Soyuz launch vehicle. These four satellites, along with four satellites launched on May 29, 2007, will augment the 40-satellite constellation. "Globalstar has invested approximately $120 million to launch these four satellites plus the four satellites launched earlier this year,” said Tony Navarra, president of global operations for Globalstar. "We consider these eight satellites to represent the beginning of our next-generation constellation, because they will not only help bridge the gap today, but last long into and seamlessly operate with, our second-generation constellation. We are also pleased that we will continue to use the reliable Soyuz launch vehicle when we resume our Globalstar launches with our second-generation spacecraft in 2009.” ADDITIONAL RECENT HISTORY ABOUT THE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS AND ONGOING RESOLUTION: Globalstar repositioned its satellite constellation in the period between mid-October 2006 and February 2007 in preparation for the expected insertion of 8 additional first generation satellites sometime in 2007 to replace satellites that have degraded. On February 6, 2007, Globalstar issued a statement acknowledging faster than expected degradation of the S-band satellite antenna power amplifiers on their first generation satellites and that in principle they could lose the ability to support two-way voice/data communications sometime in 2008 if the problem is not corrected. On May 29, the first 4 replacement satellites were launched successfully. The second generation satellites are expected to be delivered in 2009 and to provide service through 2025. SECOND GENERATION SATELLITES EXPECTED IN 2009 TO LAST TO 2025:
In December 2006, Globalstar released the following statement:
"The second-generation Globalstar constellation will integrate with and eventually replace the current
Globalstar space segment, which provides satellite voice and data services to over 120 countries on six continents.
In addition to providing backwards compatibility with the Company’s current products and services, the
Company expects the new satellites to be engineered to provide greater peak demand call capacity,
improved data speeds for file transfer and video applications, and improved network management for
Globalstar Press Releases...
Announcement of successful launch of the first 4 replacement satellites.
ADVISORY AS OF OCTOBER 2007: Globalstar issued the following additional statement in October 2007: "until the transition to the second-generation constellation, Globalstar two-way voice and duplex data satellite services will not be operating at optimal or peak efficiency. Customers may experience difficulty connecting or sustaining longer calls at certain times in certain specific locations. In order to most effectively manage two-way voice and duplex data access, Globalstar offers an optimum satellite availability tool, which predicts when a satellite will be overhead at any specific geographic area."
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