The next eight OrbComm LEO data and messaging satellites have been shipped from Orbital Sciences' Germantown manufacturing plant in Maryland to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The eight new satellites, scheduled for launch in late September aboard Orbital's Pegasus(R) rocket, will complete OrbComm's initial 28-satellite constellation. Once they are placed into service two to three months after the launch, OrbComm will offer full commercial service in the United States.
In a flawless mission conducted on August 2, Orbital launched
eight OrbComm satellites into a low-Earth orbit approximately 510
miles above the Earth. Those satellites have successfully completed
their early in-orbit check-out procedures and are performing just as
expected. As a result of data gathered from initial testing, the team
of Orbital and OrbComm engineers has already begun the second, more
extensive in-orbit testing and is well ahead of schedule in the
spacecraft check-out process.
The engineering team has determined that each of the eight
recently launched satellites is reliably generating the full
electrical power levels for which they are designed, and that all
solar arrays are properly deployed and are accurately tracking the
sun. In addition, all eight satellites have consistently been in
communications with OrbComm's ground network in the U.S., managed by
the Network Control Center located in Dulles, Virginia.
OrbComm will deploy a plane of eight additional satellites over
the equator in mid-1999, bringing the constellation to 36 LEO
satellites, which will enhance service in the world's equatorial
regions and increase the overall system capacity. OrbComm is licensed
by the Federal Communications Commission to operate a constellation of
up to 48 satellites, though launch plans for the additional 12
satellites have not been finalized.
OrbComm provides two-way monitoring, tracking and messaging
services through the world's first low-Earth orbit satellite-based
data communications system. OrbComm applications include monitoring of
fixed assets such as electric utility meters, oil and gas storage
tanks, wells and pipelines and environmental projects; tracking of
mobile assets such as commercial vehicles, trailers, rail cars, heavy
equipment, fishing vessels, barges and government assets; and
messaging services for consumers and commercial and government
entities.
