London satellite operator Inmarsat launch third rocket

A rocket has been launched by London-based satellite operator Inmarsat to significantly expand its £1bn next-generation, telecommunications network.

The company’s third Global Xpress satellite, which was launched from Kazakhstan, will be able to deliver broadband speeds 100 times faster than its incumbent satellite constellation I-4, parts of which are now more than a decade old.

Having three satellites now means Inmarsat customers can have substantially faster connections and access around the globe. Among the beneficiaries will be oil and gas platforms, in-flight connectivity for airliners, deep sea vessels, aid agencies in disaster areas and TV news crews reporting from remote locations.

Rupert Pearce, the Inmarsat boss, said ahead of the launch: “The completion of the Global Xpress (GX) constellation will be a significant milestone for our organisation and is fundamental to the delivery of a new era in mobile satellite communications which will change the future for us all.

“We are particularly pleased that GX will support vital programmes enabling governments to meet the rapidly changing requirements of our world, including the transformation of remote societies that are currently inadequately served by terrestrial networks.”

This flight was the first time a Russian Proton rocket has being used since it crashed in May while carrying a Mexican satellite.

It will take approximately 16 hours and require five rocket burns for for total satellite separation.

Th £1bn Global Xpress investment will welcome a fourth fifth-generation satellite next year, which is currently being built by Boeing in El Segundo, California

Each Global Xpress satellite weighs 6,100kg and is designed to last for 15 years.

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