Globalstar Update>
obalstar Schedules February Launch From Baikonur;
Technology Safeguards Agreement Signed
BUSINESS WIRE
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January
26, 1999--Globalstar (NASDAQ:GSTRF)
announced today that it expects a Soyuz launch
of four Globalstar satellites to occur by or before
mid-February, following today's signing of the
Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) by the
United States, Russia and Kazakhstan. The TSA
is a comprehensive trilateral agreement governing
the conditions under which U.S. satellites can be
launched from Baikonur.
"We're pleased that the TSA is now in place," said Bernard L. Schwartz,
chairman and chief executive officer of Globalstar. "This allows us to resume
our launch campaign with our first Soyuz launch. Our satellites have been
fueled and mated to the dispenser, and the launch readiness review team,
which includes outside experts, reports a 'go' condition for the Soyuz-Ikar
vehicle.
"With the resumption of our schedule, we will launch four satellites roughly
every 30 days," Mr. Schwartz continued. "This will result in 32 satellites in
orbit by the summer of 1999 and enable a September 1999 start of
commercial service. A total of 52 satellites, 48 in operation plus four in-orbit
spares, will be in orbit by December 1999.
"Our confidence is reinforced by a robust backup plan of launch slots and
satellites," Mr. Schwartz said.
Globalstar's launch readiness teams have been conducting ground processing
work since early January. The teams had been able to fuel and mate the
Globalstar satellites to the dispenser, but until the TSA was signed, they
were unable to engage in joint operations with the Russian launch teams at
Baikonur or begin integration of the dispenser system onto the Russian-built
Ikar upper stage.
Following the February launch, three more Soyuz launches, each carrying
four satellites, will take place through April. These will be followed by a
series of three Delta II launches, each carrying four satellites, between May
and August, two additional Soyuz launches in September and October, and
two more Delta II launches in November and December.
To further bolster an already robust launch back-up capability, Globalstar
recently awarded a satellite launch contract to Arianespace of Evry, France,
for the launch of six Globalstar satellites aboard an Ariane-4 rocket. If the
Ariane-4 launch, currently slated for September 1999 from the Guiana
Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, is not required at that time to
complete the Globalstar constellation, it will be reassigned by Loral to
another mission.
Globalstar is the next generation provider of mobile satellite personal
communications services. The Globalstar system, comprising 48
low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites and a global network of ground stations, will
provide people around the world with fixed-phone and hand-held mobile
satellite phone services, as well as data transmission (at up to 9.6 kilobits per
second), messaging, facsimile and position location services.
Globalstar is designed to provide cost-effective, high quality mobile satellite
services to customers around the world. Its use of advanced CDMA
technology ensures superior voice quality, and its system routes calls through
multiple satellites simultaneously, minimizing dropped calls and maximizing
completed calls. Globalstar has been conducting handset tests since April
1998 via the eight satellites it currently has in orbit, and expects to begin the
progressive roll-out of commercial services in the third quarter of 1999.
Globalstar now has service provider agreements in more than 100 countries,
covering 90 percent of Globalstar's business plan. Five Globalstar gateways
are being used to control and test the satellite system, and site work and
construction is under way at 20 more gateway sites around the world.
Globalstar, led by founding partner [ Loral Space & Communications ] , is a
partnership of the world's leading telecommunications service providers and
equipment manufacturers, and includes [ Qualcomm Incorporated ] ,
[ AirTouch Communications ] , Alcatel, Alenia, China Telecom (HK),
DACOM, Daimler-Benz Aerospace, Elsacom (a Finmeccanica/Elsag Bailey
Company), [ France Telecom ] , [ Hyundai ] , Space Systems/Loral and
Vodafone. For more information, visit Globalstar's web site at
www.globalstar.com.
Loral Space & Communications (NYSE:LOR) is a high technology
company that primarily concentrates on satellite manufacturing and
satellite-based services, including broadcast transponder leasing and value
added services, domestic and international corporate data networks, global
wireless telephony, broadband data transmission and content services,
Internet services, and international direct-to-home satellite services. For
more information, visit Loral's web site at www.loral.com. SEQN: BW1396
(Copyright 1999)
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