17th Aug 2015 07:13
LONDON (Alliance News) - Inmarsat PLC on Monday confirmed that the third satellite in the Global Xpress programme has been scheduled for launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1244 BST on Friday, August 28.
The launch of the third Global Xpress satellite had been delayed by a previous failure to launch of a Proton Breeze M rocket.
The mobile satellite communications provider said the satellite, I-5 F3, will cover the Pacific Ocean Region. With Inmarsat-5 F1 and Inmarsat-5 F2, the satellite will create "world's first globally available, high-speed mobile broadband service, delivered through a single provider", according to the company.
"Following the successful launch of I-5 F3, Inmarsat expects to commence global commercial GX services by the end of the year," Inmarsat said in a statement.
The launch is being undertaken for Inmarsat by International Launch Services using a Proton launch vehicle. Its fifth generation satellites have been built by Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc in California.
"We believe that our GX technology will drive innovation and support value-added services and solutions for our government and enterprise customers on land, at sea and in the air; in opportunities as diverse as the merchant maritime, business and commercial aviation, government, energy and resources and enterprise VSAT segments," Chief Executive Rupert Pearce said in a statement.
"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," Pearce added.
Inmarsat shares were up 0.8% at 997.25 pence on Monday morning.
By Samuel Agini; [email protected]; @samuelagini
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