Germany’s OHB-System received a contract from Orbcomm Inc. for the in-orbit delivery of six satellites, OHB-System announced July 7. The order covers the first replacement spacecraft for the Orbcomm satellite constellation and includes options for two additional spacecraft.

Financial details of the contract were not released.

OHB-System will integrate the platforms and payloads and test the spacecraft in conjunction with the Cosmos Space Systems AG joint venture. Russia’s Polyot will supply the satellite platforms and procure the launch.

Orbcomm awarded a contract to Orbital Sciences Corp. in June for six communications payloads. Orbital is scheduled to deliver the six payload sets by mid 2007, and the contract, valued at $17 million, includes options for two additional payload sets that could increase the value of the deal to $21.5 million.

Orbital created Orbcomm and designed, built and deployed the company’s 30-satellite constellation in the late 1990s. Its current fleet includes a satellite launched in 1995, eight in December 1997, 15 in 1998 and six at the end of 1999.

Orbcomm filed for bankruptcy in September 2000, and in January, OHB Technology AG, parent company of OHB-System was part of a group of investors who contributed $110 million in financing to Orbcomm.