GLOBALSTAR M067, M070, M066, and M068 are four of the latest to join the American Globalstar fleet. They were launched by a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur at 20:12 UT on 2007 October 20.
The launch completed the first generation fleet of 40 satellites, with further additions from the second-generation models. The fleet of craft, each of mass 420 kg, services mobile telephones and fixed-point transmitters carrying voice and data transmissions, by an array of C-band transponders and mediated by dedicated ground stations.
The initial orbital parameters were period 103.47 min, apogee 930 km, perigee 914 km, and inclination 51.98 degrees.
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: 2007-10-20
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz
Launch Site: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan