GLOBALSTARs M029, M034, M039, and M061 were launched by a Soyuz-U rocket from Baikonur at 16:20 UT on 1999 Nov 22. These brought the fleet to the planned total of 48 satellites that provided links between mobile or fixed telephones in isolated areas; four more were to be launched as reserves. The initial orbital parameters of all four were similiar: period 96 min, apogee 920 km, perigee 240 km, and inclination 52 deg. They were maneuvered later into circular orbits of altitude 1,400 km.
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: 1999-11-22
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U
Launch Site: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan