09/04 07:59 Ukraine rocket to launch 12 commercial satellites
KIEV, Sept 4 (Reuters) - The Ukraine's National Space Agency said on Friday a Ukrainian-made Zenit rocket booster will launch a series of commercial communication satellites belonging to the Globalstar telecommunications project.
"On September 10 our Ukrainian Zenit booster will launch 12 commercial communication satellites from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan," Eduard Kuznetsov, deputy head of the agency, told Reuters in the capital Kiev.
Globalstar is a consortium of international telecommunications companies which will offer satellite-based mobile wireless communications services beginning in 1999.
Kuznetsov said it will be the first time a Zenit, a two-stage rocket, will be used by the project but Ukraine plans two further launches of Zenit rockets by the end of this year.
"Ukraine will launch three Zenit rockets in 1998 carrying 36 communication satellites for Globalstar," Kuznetsov said.
The Globalstar consortium is led by Loral Space & Communications Ltd and includes QUALCOMM Inc. <QCOM.O>, AirTouch Communications Inc., Alcatel, Alenia <ALEI.RO>, Daimler-Benz Aerospace, a unit of Daimler-Benz AG <DAIG.F>, Elsacom, France Telecom <FTE.PA>, Hyundai <78250.KS>, Space Systems/Loral <9622.Q> and Vodafone Group Plc <VOD.L>.
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