Inmarsat launches fourth Global Xpress satellite

Inmarsat has launched the fourth high speed broadband satellite in its Global Xpress constellation, the Inmarsat-5 F4 (I-5 F4).

The new satellite was launched by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 Rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the US. It was manufactured by Boeing Network & Space Systems.

Inmarsat’s Global Xpress worldwide broadband connectivity service has been operational since December 2015. The fourth satellite will allow the company to add further capacity to the network as well as in-orbit redundancy.

“For Inmarsat, reliability and resilience are paramount. Delivering global commercial services over the GX network, which we achieved at the end of 2015, was only the start of our Global Xpress project,” Inmarsat CEO Rupert Pearce said.

“I-5 F4 augments the capabilities of GX and, alongside our existing L-band constellations, enables Inmarsat to provide guaranteed global connectivity to industries and governments worldwide.”

He said the Global Xpress service has established a strong footprint in established very small aperture terminal (VSAT) markets such as maritime and government, and is gaining ground in new market areas such as the in-flight broadband connectivity sector.