Article Posted on : - Aug 22, 2011

Seven of Globalstar’s second-generation satellites to be launched on the upcoming Soyuz missions are shown at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo: Arianespace.

EVRY, FRANCE (BNS): Arianespace is preparing for two additional Soyuz launches by 2011 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

According to the company, they are building Globalstar’s second-generation satellite constellation and will launch it before year-end.

Seven of Globalstar’s second-generation satellites to be launched on the upcoming Soyuz missions are shown at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Arianespace has been contracted to conduct a total of four such launches, carrying six satellites on each flight for Globalstar’s mobile satellite voice and mobile satellite handset data services.

Two missions with the second-generation satellites already have been performed – the first in October 2010, and the most recent last month.

A total of eight additional Globalstar second-generation satellites have been delivered to Baikonur Cosmodrome: six are being prepared for the upcoming flight in October, and the others will be ready as the initial two payloads for the following mission that also is planned in 2011, it said.

Till date, the highly reliable Soyuz vehicle has been used in 10 Globalstar launches. Six Soyuz missions performed from February to November 1999 carried four first-generation Globalstar satellites each – with these 24 spacecraft representing one-half of the company’s original constellation.