글로벌스타 2세대 2차 발사 2011년 7월 11일.

News

Globalstar and Iridium advance launch plans
(June 30 2011)

Globalstar has announced that its delayed second launch of six new satellites has now been scheduled for July 11, 2011, while Iridium has reported the signing of a new launch partner for its second-generation NEXT constellation.

Globalstar’s upcoming launch is set to take place at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Engineers and technicians from launch services provider Arianespace and satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space have completed fuelling of the satellites and all six spacecraft have now been mated to the upper stage dispenser of the Soyuz launch vehicle.

On October 19, 2010 a Soyuz booster was used in the successful first launch of six new Globalstar second-generation satellites, and was also utilised on eight previous occasions to launch Globalstar's first generation satellites.

Later this year Globalstar says that it plans to conduct two additional launches of six satellites per launch also using the Soyuz.

The Globalstar second-generation satellite constellation is designed to last for 15 years, twice the lifespan of Globalstar's first generation satellites.

News of the launch date followed closely after Globalstar reported that it had raised a significant amount of new capital through the completion of a private placement with a selection of institutional investors, including Thermo Funding Company LLC.

This placement has allowed the company to raise initial gross proceeds of $38 million (before fees and other expenses).

Additionally, investors have the option to invest up to an incremental $12 million over an approximate three month period on the same principal terms, which could mean a total of $50 million being invested in Globalstar.

For Iridium, its new launch contract is with International Space Company (ISC) Kosmotras, which will act as a supplemental provider of launch services for Iridium NEXT.

ISC Kosmotras will provide Dnepr launch services for the Iridium NEXT programme in 2015 and beyond, allowing Iridium to launch its satellites on both Kosmotras Dnepr and SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.

Iridium NEXT will replace the company's current constellation with 66 operational communication satellites, and will also include six in-orbit spares and nine ground spares.

Launches are scheduled to begin in early 2015 and continue through 2017.

"ISC Kosmotras is a well-established company with an excellent record as a reliable launch services provider, and the Dnepr rocket is a proven and robust launch vehicle with more than 15 orbital flights and 55 payloads deployed," said Scott Smith, executive vice president, satellite development and operations, Iridium.

"ISC Kosmotras joins Iridium's world-class community of partner companies that are well underway with designing and developing our next-generation, truly global network."

결론은

글로벌스타의 2세대 위성이 7월 11일 2011년에 발사가 된다는 것.

그동안 음해 세력들이, 거짓정보를 많이도 유포 하더만, 정말 발사되니 잠잠해 지겠군.

그럼 9월경이면, 서비스가 또 늘어 나게 되겠구나.

단말기도 만들고, 위성도 올라가고....

좋구나.