Proton delivers I-4 satellite safely into transfer orbit

The Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite has been successfully launched by a Proton Breeze M rocket into a geosynchronous transfer orbit.

The launch now opens the way for global coverage for Inmarsat's mobile broadband services, subject to successful deployment and in-orbit testing of the satellite.

The Inmarsat-4 (I-4) spacecraft was launched by International Launch Services (ILS) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 22:43 UTC last night (August 18).

Transfer orbit
A signal from the satellite was subsequently acquired by Inmarsat's tracking, telemetry and control stations in Italy, India and China.

The Proton Breeze M is one of the few launch vehicles capable of lifting the six-ton I-4 satellite, manufactured by EADS Astrium, directly into geostationary transfer orbit.

The satellite is the third in our I-4 constellation, and brings the total investment in the programme to about US$1.5 billion.

Global connectivity
Along with its sister craft, the F1 and F2, both launched in 2005, it will enable us to deliver global connectivity for users of our broadband mobile services - BGAN, FleetBroadband and SwiftBroadband.

The completed I-4 constellation will also support a new global satellite phone service from Inmarsat.

Andrew Sukawaty, chairman and chief executive of Inmarsat, said: "The Inmarsat-4s are the world's most sophisticated commercial network for mobile voice and data services, and the successful launch of the third I-4 allows us to complete the global coverage for our broadband services.

Fully funded
"Once the third I-4 is operational, Inmarsat will have the only fully-funded next-generation network for mobile satellite services."

The I-4 F3 satellite will now undergo a period of deployment and several weeks of comprehensive tests and manoeuvres before being positioned in geostationary orbit at 98 degrees west.

You can watch a video of the launch here.