A Globalstar satellite and its components. Photo: Boeing

Globalstar is a telecommunications system designed to provide wireless services through the use of 48 satellites orbiting above Earth. Subscribers worldwide will be capable of voice, data, fax and messaging transmissions.

Customers will make or receive calls using hand-held or vehicle mounted terminals similar to today's cellular phones. The calls will be relayed through Globalstar's satellite fleet, to a groundstation and then through local terrestrial wireline and wireless systems to their end destinations. The satellites can reach as far north as 70 degrees North or as far south as 70 degrees South, covering virtually all the populated areas of the planet.

The space-based satellite network features eight separate orbital planes with six spacecraft in each. Four additional satellites will be launched to serve as on-orbit spares. The satellites will circle above the Earth in orbits 764 nautical miles high, inclined 52 degrees to either side of equator.

An artist's concept of the Globalstar satellite constellation. Photo: Globalstar

The trapezoidal-shaped spacecraft are three-axis stabilized with two deployable solar arrays and a deployable magnetometer. Each bird to operate about 10 years.

The satellites weigh 988 pounds, or a total of 3,950.7 pounds for a cluster of four spacecraft. The dispenser that holds the spacecraft during launch, and will deploy them, weighs 593.7 pounds. The total payload stack for the Delta 2 rocket to carry today is 4,544.4 pounds.

There are currently 48 Globalstar satellites in space -- 24 launched by Boeing Delta 2 rockets and 24 on Starsem Soyuz boosters.

Globalstar is a limited partnership company founded by Loral Space and Communications and Qualcomm, Inc.