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FEATURE/Globalstar Launches National Science and Technology Week Into Orbit
With Satellite Fast Facts; Global Satellite Communications Provider Offers
Background on Technology
(Business Wire; 04/26/99)
SAN JOSE, CALIF. (April 26) BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES -April 26, 1999--
Globalstar, a provider of mobile satellite personal communications services, is
contributing to the education of America's youth during National Science and
Technology Week from April 25 to May 1.
National Science and Technology Week is a nationally recognized effort to build
students' knowledge in the areas of science, technology and engineering as
well as generate future career interest. As a **Loral** Space and
Communications-created company, Globalstar has a rich history of satellite
knowledge -- which it shares on the following pages with a definition, history
and use of satellites and how they are built, tested and launched.
During the past 40 years, satellites have progressed a long way -- and so have
their functions. Prior to 1990, they were used primarily by governments and the
military. Today, commercial ventures are utilizing satellites to help meet the
world's demand for total global access to phone service, including remote
locations. Although phone technologies have advanced, the International
Telecommunications Union reports that three billion people around the world
still lack basic phone service or access to community phone booths. Satellite
technology, in conjunction with ground stations that receive voice signals from
space, will allow people globally to converse by phone -- many for the first
time in their lives. Globalstar will begin offering global phone service in the
third quarter of 1999.
"It's estimated that during the next eight to ten years, more than 1,000
additional communications satellites will be launched," said Megan Fitzgerald,
Vice President of Satellite Operations, Globalstar. "As the demand for
satellites increases, so too will the need for experts in this field. America's
youth today can start preparing for a satellite communications career by
learning about the technology."
GLOBALSTAR
FACTS ABOUT SATELLITES
FOR NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WEEK
What is a Satellite?
By definition, a satellite is any celestial body orbiting around
a planet or star. Thus, the moon is a satellite of the Earth and the
Earth is a satellite of the sun. But most people think of satellites
as the man-made objects put in place by rockets that are used to
transmit phone calls, take pictures of the Earth and other planets,
map weather patterns and send programs to TV sets around the world.
A Brief History of Satellites
1957 The first satellite, Sputnik, was successfully launched by the
Soviet Union. Sputnik circled the globe in little more than an
hour and sent radio signals back to Earth. These early radio
signals were so strong that they could be picked up by amateurs.
1958 The United States successfully launched its first satellite,
Explorer 1. This satellite helped scientists discover the Van
Allen radiation belts, which are rings of charged particles
trapped in the Earth's magnetic field. These charged particles
can sometimes be seen from Earth -- far in the north or far in
the south -- and look like light shows.
1999 According to the United States Space Command, today there are
nearly 2,600 active satellites in space, with 20 launched by
Globalstar. These 2,600 satellites are used in many different
fields -- agriculture, meteorology, defense, astronomy,
navigation, oceanography and telecommunications.
Flying Stars?
-- GEOs: Geosynchronous earth-orbiting, or GEO, satellites move
around the Earth at the same speed that the Earth rotates around
its own axis. They always hover over the same spot.
-- LEOs: Other satellites, like the ones used by Globalstar for
phone communications, make a trip around the globe every couple
of hours. These are called low-earth-orbiting satellites, LEOs.
If you look up into the sky on a clear night, you can sometimes
see one or two "flying" by as if they were moving stars.
A Road Trip to a LEO?
-- GEOs orbit the Earth 22,000 miles out in space. If there were a
freeway to this location and no traffic, it would take about 15
days to drive there if you didn't stop for breaks.
-- LEOs orbit the Earth 900 miles out in space. If there were a
freeway to this location and no traffic, it would take about 15
hours to drive there if you didn't stop for breaks.
Faster Than the Fastest Plane
-- Globalstar satellites travel approximately 16,000 mph. By
comparison, the world's fastest and only supersonic passenger
airplane, the British/French Concorde, travels at 1,300 mph.
The Life of a Globalstar Satellite
-- Before Globalstar can launch a satellite, it has to submit each
satellite to 30 days of rigorous testing. Part of this testing
includes placing the satellite in a vacuum capsule that simulates
the environment and temperatures of outer space.
-- Over the course of testing, each satellite will undergo more than
50 labor-intensive inspections.
-- Once the inspections are complete, the satellites must be
transported five at a time in a boxcar or truck to one of the
world's few rocket launch pads.
-- The entire process of building, testing and transporting the
satellites takes about two years.
-- During their average seven-and-a-half-year lifetime, the
Globalstar satellites will use the sun's rays to recharge their
batteries and they will send phone calls to and from different
points on Earth.
-- Once the satellites exhaust their usage, they are moved into what
is called their "graveyard" orbit; this is where the satellites
will reside indefinitely.
About Globalstar
Globalstar, led by founding partner **Loral** Space & Communications, is a
partnership of the world's leading telecommunications service providers and
equipment manufacturers, including Qualcomm Incorporated, AirTouch
Communications, Alcatel, Alenia, China Telecom (HK), DACOM, DaimlerChrysler
Aerospace, Elsacom (a Finmeccanica company), France Telecom, Hyundai, Space
Systems/**Loral** and Vodafone. For more information, visit Globalstar's web
site at www.globalstar.com.
-0- gdr/sf*
CONTACT: Globalstar Donna Berry or Jill Davey, 415/974-6200
jdavey@gcigroup.com
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMED COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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{BusinessWire:Technology-0426.00627} 04/26/99
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