UK-based satellite telecom company Inmarsat has launched the second Global Xpress (GX) satellite (Inmarsat-5 F2) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
Built by Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inmarsat-5 F2 is part of a US$1.6bn investment by Inmarsat into the next generation of global mobile broadband communications.
Rupert Pearce, CEO of Inmarsat, said, “The successful launch of Inmarsat-5 F2 is a significant step forward on our journey to deliver the world’s first globally available, high speed mobile broadband service. Our first GX satellite entered commercial service in July 2014 and has since been delivering an excellent service to our customers in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. With Inmarsat-5 F3 expected for launch in the coming months, we are on schedule to achieve full global coverage early in the second half of 2015.”
According to Inmarsat, the Inmarsat-5 F2 satellite will enable services that include worldwide mobile broadband communications for ships, in-flight connectivity for airline passengers and high-resolution video, voice and data streaming.
“The launch of Inmarsat-5 F2 is a great achievement and I will like to pay tribute to the skill and expertise of Inmarsat’s engineering teams and all our employees involved in the design, development, manufacturing, testing and launch. It is their dedication, alongside the outstanding support we have received from our manufacturing and launch partners that has helped to deliver such a successful outcome,” added Pearce.
Inmarsat is the owner and commercial operator of the Global Xpress constellation.
