GLOBALSTAR M024, M027, M053, and M054 join the American fleet of communications satellites. They were launched by a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral at 16:37 UT on 1999 August 17. The fleet now totalled 36 satellites and enabled voice and data transmissions to/from stations located far away from cellular networks. Averaged initial orbital parameters were period 113.3 min, apogee 1386 km, perigee 1368 km, and inclination 52.0 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: 1999-08-17
Launch Vehicle: Delta II
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States
Mass: 450.0 kg
Nominal Power: 1100.0 W