TerreStar Networks and Space Systems/Loral yesterday announced that TerreStar-1 has arrived on schedule in Kourou, French Guiana, where it is scheduled to launch on June 24 aboard the Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle.

The arrival of the satellite signals the start of final launch preparations for TerreStar, which plans to bring a combination satellite/terrestrial service to market in North America.

TerreStar-1 will be the largest commercial satellite ever launched, TerreStar President Jeffrey Epstein said in a recent interview. The company, which inked a roaming agreement with AT&T last year, plans to launch services using conventionally sized dual-mode handsets once they are tested and certified.

The company says the satellite is ideally suited to provide critical services to government, emergency responders, rural communities and commercial users. The satellite uses 2 GHz spectrum to provide voice, data and video communications to satellite/terrestrial mobile devices. 

Space Systems/Loral, working with Hughes Network Systems, has developed a two-way, ground-based beam forming technology that enables the satellite to reallocate resources based on demand.

The satellite will be capable of generating more than 500 spot beams, covering the continental U.S., Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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