Investments in Affiliates (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Jul. 05, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	Jul. 05, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] CAD	Mar. 28, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 28, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] CAD	Mar. 31, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] CAD	Dec. 31, 2013 Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2011 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2005 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2009 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2008 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 12.5% Senior Subordinated Notes Due November 2017 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	May 14, 2012 6% Senior Notes Due May 2017 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 6% Senior Notes Due May 2017 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] item	Oct. 29, 2012 6% Senior Notes Due May 2017 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	May 14, 2012 11% Senior Note Due November 2015 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Mar. 28, 2013 Credit Agreement Dated March 28, 2012 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] CAD	Dec. 31, 2012 Nonvoting Common Stock [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 28, 2013 Term Loan B [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Mar. 28, 2013 Term Loan B - Canadian Facility [Member] Credit Agreement Dated March 28, 2012 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Mar. 28, 2013 Term Loan B - U.S. Facility [Member] Credit Agreement Dated March 28, 2012 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Globalstar do Brasil S.A. [Member] USD ($)
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity method investment, impairment			$ 1,500,000
Sale premium received on sale of net assets to affiliate											13,000,000
Recognition of Intercompany profit previously eliminated											5,000,000
Elimination of share (economic interest) of profit on sale of net assets to affiliate											11,000,000
Gain on sales of net asset to affiliate after intercompany profit elimination											7,000,000
Gain on sales of net asset to affiliate after intercompany profit elimination, discontinued operations.											1,800,000
Profits recognized on affiliate sales eliminated in earlier periods		4,600,000
Investments in affiliates	116,820,000	62,517,000							60,157,000						56,663,000	62,517,000
Economic interest in affiliates									62.80%	62.80%
Amount paid to pay off the outstanding note with interest due									2,600,000	24,100,000
Original economic interest in affiliate										64.00%
Share appreciation rights exercised by Telesat employees										5,311,568
Distributions declared to shareholders, option holders and certain employees								656,500,000
Non-voting participating preferred stock issued to Telesat Employees																									2,249,747
Voting interest in affiliate									32.70%	32.70%
Original voting interest in affiliate										33.33%
Maximum borrowing under credit agreement						2,550,000,000
Increase in indebtedness						490,000,000
Deferred financing cost written-off on debt refinancing						22,000,000
Excess distribution over carrying value of investment in Telesat										7,400,000
Equity method losses previously suspended recovered									7,400,000
Payments To Acquire Productive Assets	64,000	4,000	350,000						77,700,000	170,200,000	377,900,000
Promissory note issued								146,000,000
Promissory note - minimum redemption								50.00%
Promissory note - minimum redemption date								Mar. 28, 2014
Promissory note - maturity date								Mar. 28, 2016
Promissory note, stated interest rate, year one and two								9.75%
Promissory note, stated interest rate, after year two								11.00%
Cash payments authorized to executives and certain employees							48,600,000
Equity method investment senior subordinated notes interest rate stated percentage																			12.50%
Indenture maturity date																			Nov. 01, 2017
Redemeption date of debt instrument																			May 01, 2013
Distribution declared to Loral								420,000,000
Redemption rate relative to principal amount																			106.25%
Debt instrument amendment date																								Apr. 02, 2013
Debt amount converted into U.S. dollars																								34,000,000
Interest rate reduction after amendment																													0.50%
Interest rate floor after amendment																														1.00%	0.75%
Leverage ratio after amendment																								4.25
Leverage ratio before amendment																								4.00
Distributions received from affiliate		420,199,000		44,000,000	45,000,000	376,000,000	375,000,000
Transaction income during the period																										5,000,000	5,000,000	5,000,000
Senior notes issued																				700,000,000		200,000,000
Interest on notes																				6.00%	6.00%	6.00%	11.00%
Debt instrument, maturity date																				May 15, 2017			Nov. 01, 2015
Interest expense multiplier to determine EBITDA available for dividend distribution																					1.40
Transaction payments received during the period																										6,300,000	25,700,000	3,200,000
Percentage of ownership interest															56.00%
Convertible debt issued by XTAR													10,800,000
Maturity date of convertible loan issued by XTAR													Feb. 01, 2011
Repayment of loan balance												18,500,000
Capital contribution												10,400,000
Lease obligation															25,000,000
Maximum annual lease obligation															28,000,000
Lease agreement, past due																		32,300,000
Lease agreement, deferred amount																	6,700,000
Deferred lease obligation, annual payment														5,000,000
Repayment term past due and deferred lease obligation, years														12 years
Discount rate for prepayment of restructured past due and deferred lease obligation														9.00%
Cumulative payments of restructured past due and deferred lease obligation															24,200,000
Lease obligation, non current																27,400,000
Loss contingency recorded																																3,700,000
Proceeds from sale of investment in affiliate	$ 1,150,000	$ 1,694,000