To provide the space infrastructure for the Global Xpress network, Inmarsat has ordered three new Inmarsat-5 satellites from Boeing, based on its proven Ka-band 702HP satellite generation.
Each Inmarsat-5 satellite will carry 89 Ka-band beams and will operate in geosynchronous orbit with flexible global coverage. The satellites are designed to generate approximately 15 kilowatts of power at the start of service and approximately 13.8 kilowatts at the end of their 15-year design life. To generate such high power, each spacecraft’s two solar wings employ five panels each of ultra triple-junction gallium arsenide solar cells. The Boeing 702HP carries the xenon ion propulsion system (XIPS) for all on-orbit maneuvering.
When operational, the Inmarsat-5 satellites will provide Inmarsat with a comprehensive range of global mobile satellite services including mobile broadband communications for deep-sea vessels, in-flight connectivity for airline passengers and streaming high-resolution video, voice and data.
Leveraging Boeing’s expertise in government environments and applications, the Inmarsat-5 satellites will provide Inmarsat’s customers with an array of secure voice and high-speed communications applications between land, sea and air services and multinational coalitions. The Inmarsat-5 spacecraft will be compatible with the Ariane, Sea Launch, Proton and Atlas launch vehicles.
The world’s first geosynchronous communications satellite, Syncom, was built by Boeing and launched in 1963. Today, nearly half of the 275 commercial satellites in orbit worldwide were built by Boeing at its Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, Calif., the site of the world’s largest satellite manufacturing factory.
