The contest, called the DARPA Grand Challenge, is a new competition in which up to 25 fully-autonomous vehicles will attempt to independently navigate a 250-mile desert course within a fixed time period, all with no human intervention whatsoever -- no driver, no remote-control, just pure computer-processing and navigation horsepower, competing for a $1 million cash prize.

Because most of the Grand Challenge course passes through extremely remote areas of southern California, where conventional wireless or cellular communications networks simply do not exist, Globalstar satellite services were selected to provide real-time vehicle position information, as well as voice communications, for competition officials and control vehicles in order to ensure the safety of event participants, spectators and the surrounding communities.

The DARPA Grand Challenge is being conducted by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is the central research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Defense. The competition, which runs from Barstow, Calif. to Primm Valley, Nev., was developed by DARPA to encourage innovation and technology transfer from civilian and academic entrepreneurs to potential government applications.

The DARPA Grand Challenge is without precedent in terms of its scale, the number of robotic vehicles involved, and the complex navigation the course will require.

"We have put back-up plans in place for every imaginable contingency, aimed at ensuring a safe and exciting competition," said Dr. Anthony Tether, Director, DARPA.

"Globalstar's ability to provide dependable communications -- no matter where these vehicles go -- will play a key role in helping us conduct this event smoothly, while also providing up-to-the-minute competition progress reports to spectators and online observers."

The 25 vehicles that may qualify for the final event on March 13 range from a gyroscope-steadied motorcycle to a full-sized four-wheel-drive truck.

Throughout the event, each vehicle will be accompanied by a (human-piloted) control vehicle which will maintain contact with the Challenge command center via Globalstar, transmitting position location information and, when required, providing voice links to command center staff.

Data collected from each vehicle and relayed via the Globalstar satellite constellation will allow DARPA staff to create and constantly update a map showing the location of all competitors throughout the event. This will be the only means for spectators, the media, and race teams to remotely determine the physical location of vehicles and their progress toward the finish line. Vehicle progress will also be displayed on a "leader board" at the finish.

"We're delighted to have Globalstar's data transmission and asset tracking capabilities validated by the same organization that effectively invented the Internet," said Tony Navarra, president of Globalstar, referring to DARPA's development in the 1970s of ARPANET, the data network which was the immediate precursor to the Internet as we know it today.

"Globalstar continues to be the communications tool of choice for government and business organizations who absolutely depend on reliable communications service where there is no cellular, radio or landline service. This includes the Department of Homeland Security, state and local first responders, state bioterror agencies and industrial users."

Since plans by Thermo Capital Partners to lead Globalstar's financial restructuring were announced late last year, Globalstar has continued to expand its reach into strategic vertical markets and set important service benchmarks to accommodate growing demand, including enhancing its coverage in the Caribbean, providing flat-fee pricing in Europe and announcing plans for construction of a new gateway in Florida.

In addition to providing real-time vehicle tracking and backup voice services for Grand Challenge organizers, Globalstar will also provide fixed phones for VIPs and members of the media to use while viewing the race at the start location outside of Barstow.

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