Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite
communications services, announced that Inmarsat one of its subsidiary
companies, has signed a contract with International Launch Services (ILS) for
the launch of three Inmarsat-5 satellites.

 

The launches, scheduled for 2013-14, will use the ILS
Proton launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

 

The Inmarsat-5 satellites – three state-of-the-art 702HP
Ka-band satellites currently being built by Boeing – will form the
constellation to support Inmarsat’s forthcoming Global Xpress network.  

 

Global Xpress will offer seamless global coverage and
deliver unprecedented mobile broadband speeds of up to 50MB/s for users in the
government, maritime, enterprise, energy and aeronautical sectors.
Inmarsat
is investing an estimated amount of US$1.2 billion in the Global Xpress
programme, which includes launch costs.

 

ILS successfully launched Inmarsat’s most recent satellite, the third Inmarsat-4,
from Baikonur in August 2008.

 

The Proton vehicle is Russia’s premier heavy-lift
launcher and is built by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center,
the majority owner of ILS and one of the pillars of the Russian space industry.

 

ILS Proton has successfully launched 31 consecutive
missions since July 2008 and the Proton vehicle has launched 365 missions since
its maiden flight in 1965.

 

Selecting a launch services provider is a critical part
of realising our Global Xpress vision,” said Andrew Sukawaty, chairman and CEO
of Inmarsat.

 

It is exciting to be working with Inmarsat again with
these very important ILS Proton launches.  Inmarsat has placed an
incredible amount of confidence and trust in ILS, Khrunichev and the Proton
launch vehicle, to launch the Inmarsat-5 constellation. We look forward to
enabling the deployment of their Global Xpress network and serving Inmarsat
with outstanding launch services and performance for each of these missions,”
said Frank McKenna, president, ILS.

 

By Telecomlead.com Team
[email protected]