[SatNews] Lots of relief and excitement — as the Soyuz Flight ST22 Arianespace’s Soyuz mission with the initial cluster of Globalstar second-generation satellites is now underway following liftoff from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Today’s mission is the first of four Soyuz launches booked with Arianespace to deploy a total of 24 second-generation satellites, which will support Globalstar’s current lineup of voice, Duplex and Simplex data products and services.  Once the next-generation Globalstar ground network is installed, the advanced constellation also will provide customers with enhanced future services that feature increased data speeds of 256 kbps. in a flexible Internet protocol multimedia subsystem configuration.

Conducted by Arianespace’s Starsem affiliate, this flight will deliver the six trapezoidal-shaped spacecraft into a circular phasing orbit. This flight delivered the six trapezoidal-shaped spacecraft into a circular phasing orbit, utilizing the improved Soyuz version that will be introduced by Arianespace at the Spaceport in French Guiana next year.

The Globalstar satellites are installed on a purpose-built dispenser system that carries two spacecraft mounted on its upper section and four on the lower portion with separation occurring at 1 hr. 38 min. and 1 hr. 40 min. into the mission. This followed the powered flight of Soyuz’ three main stages lasting 8 min. 49 sec., and two burns of the Fregat upper stage, which were separated by a coast phase of approximately 50 min.

“We are proud to know that today’s six satellites will become the cornerstone of the Globalstar second generation constellation, and we look forward to our continued participation in the Globalstar success,” said Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. He noted that Globalstar was the first customer for the Starsem affiliate, which successfully orbited 24 first-generation spacecraft between February and November 1999 using six Soyuz launchers.  In follow-on Soyuz missions performed by Starsem in May and October 2007, eight replacement spacecraft were orbited to join the Globalstar constellation.

“Today, we are very happy to have successfully launched the ninth Globalstar Soyuz, and we are ready to get right to work for the tenth launch,” Le Gall added. The six Globalstar satellites orbited today weighed approximately 700 kg. each, and carry 16 transponders from C-to S-band, and 16 receivers from L- to C-band.

Today’s mission is the first of four Soyuz launches booked with Arianespace to deploy a total of 24 second-generation satellites, which will support Globalstar’s current lineup of voice, Duplex and Simplex data products and services. The launch live with Arianespace’s real-time video broadcast, is available at.