GLOBALSTAR M083, M088, M091, M085, M081, and M089 were launched from Baikonur on 2011 July 13 at 02:27 UT by a Soyuz rocket. There were a total of six new second-generation satellites launched, each weighing approximately 650 kg. They joined six previous Globalstar 2 satellites in orbit. The Globalstar constellation is designed to provide mobile satellite voice and duplex data services.
The initial orbital parameters were period = 103.54 minutes, apogee = 932.4 km, perigee = 919.5 km, inclination = 52.0 degrees on 2011 Aug 4 at 13:57:58 UTC.
This was the second of four such launches that by late 2011 were expected to complete deployment of Globalstar's second-generation constellation of 24 satellites. The Globalstar satellites are divided among eight orbital planes to evenly spread the spacecraft across the globe. This Globalstar launch was timed so that one of the satellites would reach one of the orbital planes and enter into service, while the others will drift to their ultimate locations. All six satellites will be in service within three-to-five months and have a design life of 15 years.
The satellites were developed by European company Thales Alenia Space on orders of the Globalstar corporation, and designed to provide high-quality global personal mobile communication services.
Facts in Brief
Launch Date: 2010-10-19
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-2.1a
Launch Site: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan