SpaceX Launches Nine Globalstar Satellites Amid Amazon Merger

SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Space Launch Complex 40 on August 15, 2026, carrying nine Globalstar 2-R replacement satellites into space. This mission marks the first batch of new second-generation satellites that will refresh Globalstar's low Earth orbit constellation.

Globalstar contracted with Canada-based MDA Space in 2022 to build 17 new second-generation refresh satellites for a total of $327 million, with an option for nine additional units. The company signed a launch services agreement with SpaceX in July 2025 to deploy the first nine of those replacement satellites.

The existing Globalstar constellation operates at an altitude of about 1,410 kilometers, inclined at 52 degrees, providing mobile satellite services across the globe. These services include satellite voice communications, two-way data transmission, asset tracking, and emergency messaging that reach over 80 percent of Earth's surface.