GLOBALSTARs M022, M041, M046, and M037 are American low-orbit communications spacecraft that were launched by a Soyuz-U rocket from Baikonur at 03:06 UT on 1999 March 15. These joined the previously launched 12-member fleet to provide voice and data links to/from remote telephones. After further launches, the fleet consisted of 48 spacecraft. Initial orbital parameters of the four were similar: period 103.5 min, apogee 952 km, perigee 910 km, and inclination 52 deg.
Globalstar planned 52 satellites (48 operational and 4 on-orbit spares) in Space Systems Loral's "Big LEO" global mobile communications network, offering global real time voice, data and fax. The satellites were 3-axis stabilized, and employed magnetometers on a deployable boom, sun sensors, GPS as attitude sensors, and carried two deployable solar arrays delivering 1100 W. The satellites in the first-generation constellation were designed to operate at full performance for a minimum of 7.5 years.
The satellites in the system were placed into low earth orbit in eight operational planes of six satellites each, with 1,414 kilometer circular orbits inclined at 52 degrees.
Facts in Brief
Launch Date: 1999-03-15
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U
Launch Site: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan
Mass: 450.0 kg
Nominal Power: 1100.0 W