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GLOBALSTAR SIGNS CONTRACT WITH ALCATEL ALENIA SPACE FOR SECOND-GENERATION LEO SATELLITE CONSTELLATION

New constellation of 48 satellites designed to last through at least 2025 Launches planned to commence in 2009

Globalstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:GSAT), a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, government and individuals, and Alcatel Alenia Space, the European leader for satellite systems, announced today that the two companies have signed a contract under which Alcatel Alenia Space will design, manufacture and deliver the Globalstar second-generation constellation of 48 low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. The total contract value is approximately EURO 661 million. Globalstar will compensate Alcatel Alenia Space approximately EURO 620 million for the design, development and manufacture of 48 new satellites and approximately EURO 41 million for launch and mission operations support services. The contract value could be reduced by up to EURO 28 million if Globalstar chooses to accelerate delivery of the constellation. The satellites are being designed with a life expectancy of 15 years, which is significantly longer than the design life of Globalstar’s first generation constellation. Globalstar anticipates the increased satellite lifespan will provide the Company with a second-generation space segment through at least 2025.

Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO of Globalstar, Inc., and Pascale Sourisse, President and CEO of Alcatel Alenia Space, signed the new agreement on Thursday afternoon at a meeting during the SATCON Satellite Conference and Expo in New York, NY.

“We are extremely pleased with this agreement, which not only secures the Globalstar space segment through at least 2025, but also takes us another step to offering a host of exciting future services while assisting us in our quest to maximize our global spectrum opportunity,” said Jay Monroe. Mr. Monroe added, “We are thrilled to be working with Alcatel Alenia Space again on something so vital to the long term success of Globalstar and look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship as we move through the next decade and beyond.”

Pascale Sourisse commented, “This contract demonstrates the confidence and trust that Globalstar places in our company. It highlights Alcatel Alenia Space’s strong competences and resources to design, produce and assemble Globalstar’s whole satellite constellation as well as our expertise in providing competitive satellite solutions.” Mrs Sourisse added, “This contract confirms Alcatel Alenia Space’s worldwide leadership in telecommunications satellite orders for the year 2006.”

The agreement is subject to the establishment of an escrow account, which will require the consent of Globalstar’s lenders. Globalstar and Alcatel Alenia Space also agreed that $190 million of the contract payments are to be denominated in dollars with future possible bonus payments of up to $75 million being paid to Alcatel Alenia Space pending both companies meeting certain criteria through 2014.

The second-generation Globalstar constellation will integrate with and eventually replace the current Globalstar space segment, which provides satellite voice and data services to over 120 countries on six continents. In addition to providing backwards compatibility with the Company’s current products and services, the Company expects the new satellites to be engineered to provide greater peak demand call capacity, improved data speeds for file transfer and video applications, and improved network management for integrated ATC terrestrial applications, video streaming and broad band data service. The new constellation is also intended to be capable of supporting a wide variety of potential handset services such as push-to-talk and multi-cast networking.

As a contractor for the first generation Globalstar satellites, Alcatel Alenia Space was responsible for the satellite payloads and structures, as well as satellite integration. The company was also responsible for manufacturing and installing the Globalstar ground station antenna terminals.

As with the original Globalstar LEO constellation, the second-generation satellites are designed to provide satellite coverage to all but the polar regions of the earth’s surface. “A second-generation LEO constellation has always been a preferred space segment choice because it provides us with the flexibility to offer backwards compatibility to our present customer base while we augment the current satellites with new ones,” said Mr. Monroe. “A LEO constellation also continues to provide Globalstar with the capability to offer superior call quality and features such as path diversity, which leads to fewer dropped calls and virtually no signal latency or perceptible voice delay.”

This agreement will involve Alcatel Alenia Space’s production sites in France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium. Globalstar’s second-generation satellites will be assembled and integrated in the Alcatel Alenia Space facility in Rome (Italy). The payloads will be provided by the company’s facility in Toulouse (France) with the structures as well as the thermal subsystems being provided by the facility in Cannes (France). Over the next three years, Globalstar will also send selected engineers and contractors to work with Alcatel Alenia Space in Europe.

Globalstar has commenced launch contract discussions with a number of launch providers and expects to finalize its launch plans over the next 12 months. The contract with Alcatel Alenia Space calls for Globalstar to begin taking deliveries of the new satellites in the summer of 2009 with launches beginning shortly thereafter.

In order to supplement its current constellation, Globalstar continues with preparations to launch eight spare first-generation satellites, using two Soyuz launch vehicles, in the first half of 2007. Launch provider Starsem has set two Globalstar launch windows, the first of which begins on March 26, 2007 and the second of which commences on May 14. Alcatel Alenia Space currently is conducting pre-launch preparations on the eight satellites at its facility in Rome, Italy.


Archives: (2005 ) / (2006)

4 December 2006
Globalstar Agreement
for Second Generation LEO
Satellite Constellation Signed

9 November 2006
Globalstar Awarded
Federal Government Supply
Contract for Satellite
Phone & Data Products

11 October 2006
Globalstar Awarded
Federal Government Supply
Contract for Satellite
Phone & Data Products

10 October 2006
Globalstar Signs Agreement
for Second Generation LEO
Satellite Constellation

12 September 2006
Globalstar Provides Satellite Data Boost For
U.S. Customers

3 August 2006
New Globalstar Modem Provides Customers With
Ready to Use Satellite
Connectivity

26 July 2006
Globalstar Airtime Promotion
Breaks the 10-Cent Per
Minute Barrier

29 June 2006
Globalstar Granted License
to Provide Satellite
Services to South Africa

28 June 2006
Globalstar Offers Seamless
Data Coverage from
Alaska to Chile

27 June 2006
Globalstar Opens Sixth
North American Ground
Station in Alaska

6 June 2006
Globalstar Receives Initial Authority for New Alaska Ground Station

4 May 2006
Globalstar's 24/7 Customer Support Provides "Out of
This World" Care

27 April 2006
Globalstar Provides 10,000 Satellite Modems for
Disaster Recovery

4 April 2006
Globalstar's Second Generation Satellite Constellation

23 March 2006
Globalstar Satellite Phone Sales Expected to
Soar in Alaska

13 March 2006
Globalstar Expects Satellite Data Boom in South America

2 March 2006
Globalstar Launches Emergency Rate Plan

15 February 2006
Globalstar Simplex Data
Selected by General Electric

26 January 2006
Globalstar Announces Data Expansion to Asia and
the Western Pacific

10 January 2006
Globalstar Launches IP/VPN Services for Data Customers

05 January 2006
Globalstar Acquires
Central America Gateway

Globalstar Satellite Phone Solutions
 
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