Less then a month after Starsem -- a Russo-French joint venture -- completed the final test of its improved Soyuz launcher, the company pocketed a major commercial order for 11 launches of the new booster.

The Russian-built Soyuz ST launch vehicle is expected to deliver 32 satellites for the SkyBridge communication constellation. The entire $4.8 billion SkyBridge system will include 80 satellites to provide global high-speed multimedia services.

SkyBridge LP, based in Bethesda, Maryland, is backed by the French aerospace giant Alcatel, which is the primary contractor for the SkyBridge satellites. Together with Toshiba, Alcatel will conduct final integration of the spacecraft. Several other major high-tech companies around the world invested into the SkyBridge venture.

The company has yet to pick a launch provider for eight remaining satellites intended for the constellation. Nicolas Brun, vice president of communications at SkyBridge, said that a third launch provider could join Boeing and Starsem in the launch campaign.

Although 11 Soyuz ST boosters would normally deliver packs of three satellites each, and would be capable of launching 33 of the 40 spacecraft, SkyBridge chose to launch only 32 on Soyuz, so that the remaining group would include an even number of spacecraft.

"If we wanted to negotiate [with the third launch provider] for the remaining satellites, it is always easiest when you have eight satellites, then when you have seven," Brun said.

Currently, European Arianespace, U.S.-based International Launch Services (ILS) and Chinese launch providers, as well as Starsem, are competing for the remaining SkyBridge launch order.

"If another company joins the club it will be only one company," Brun said.

The cost of two individual contracts -- which Boeing and Starsem signed with SkyBridge -- has not been disclosed. However, SkyBridge said that total price tag for delivering the SkyBridge constellation into orbit will reach $1 billion.

SkyBridge expects to start service as soon as half of its satellites reach orbit. Each 1.5-ton spacecraft will be inserted into a 913-mile (1,469-kilometer) circular orbit, inclined 54 degrees toward the equator. The satellites will be evenly distributed over Earth's surface in 20 different orbital planes, with four spacecraft in each plane.

The first launch of a Soyuz ST rocket with a SkyBridge payload is expected in the second half of 2002. Starsem will have roughly 18 months to complete the launch campaign before the SkyBridge system goes into operation in 2003.

On March 20, the Fregat upper stage -- launched on top of the Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome -- completed a successful orbital test, clearing the way for the commercial use of the Soyuz ST launch vehicle.

In its first commercial missions, the Soyuz ST/Fregat booster is expected to deliver two pairs of Cluster science satellites in June and July 2000.

Starsem's Soyuz booster, equipped with a less powerful Ikar upper stage, completed six successful flights delivering clusters of four Globalstar communications satellites in each launch.