Despite an ongoing regulatory dispute, American satellite communications company Globalstar has partnered with SpaceX to launch satellites for Apple’s Emergency SOS iPhone feature.
Emergency SOS via Satellite
The agreement between Globalstar and SpaceX was recently revealed in an SEC filing. Although the filing, spotted by Nola, doesn’t provide many details, it does indicate that SpaceX will launch the satellites within a 2025 launch window, with Globalstar paying $64 million for the launch.
The filing confirms what had been learned in September of 2022: Apple will pay 95% of the costs for the new satellites, including the launch fees, and is referred to as a “launch partner.”
The deal comes at a time when Globalstar is actively embroiled in a legal battle against SpaceX. SpaceX hopes to secure a radio spectrum for its upcoming mobile service for Starlink.
