MOSCOW. June 21 (Interfax) - Russia's Soyuz-2-1A medium-class carrier rockets will put 24 second-generation satellites for the Globalstar telecommunications constellation in four launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2010-11.
"Globalstar representatives are expected to arrive at Baikonur in July. Six Thales Alenia Space satellites are to be delivered to the cosmodrome in early August and the first round of preparations will begin, to be capped by a launch in October," Starsem Executive General Director Viktor Nikolayev told Interfax-AVN.
About four months will pass between the first and second launches - the time Globalstar will need to check the condition of the six satellites already in orbit, he said. The other three Soyuz-2-1A rockets, each carrying six satellites, are to be launched in 2011 at an interval of two months, somewhere in February, April and June," Nikolayev said.
"Arianespace and Globalstar signed a contract to launch second-generation satellites for the Globalstar telecommunications satellite constellation, and chose Kourou in French Guiana to be the main launch pad and Baikonur a reserve launch pad," he said. "Globalstar was deploying the first-generation constellation from Baikonur. It is familiar with its infrastructure and is pleased with everything," Nikolayev added.
The first launch with six satellites is to take place between the launches of the manned Soyuz TMA-01M on October 8 and of the Progress M-08M freighter on October 27.