• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • NEWS:
  • SatNews
  • SatMagazine
  • MilSatMagazine
  • SmallSat News
  • |     EVENTS:
  • SmallSat Symposium
  • Satellite Innovation
  • MilSat Symposium

SatNews

  • HOME
  • Magazines
  • Events
  • Perspectives
  • Industry Calendar
    • IN PERSON
    • VIRTUAL
  • Subscribe

Inmarsat Selects Mitsubishi Heavy Industries To Launch The I-6 F1 Satellite

November 4, 2021

Inmarsat has announced the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) will launch Inmarsat’s first satellite in their Inmarsat-6 fleet (I-6 F1) via MHI’s H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 45 (HIIA F45).

Inmarsat’s sixth-generation (I-6) fleet will be its first to feature dual-payload satellites. The I-6s will support L-band (ELERA) and Ka-band (Global Xpress) services as part of the company’s unique, global, multi-dimensional, dynamic mesh network — ORCHESTRA.

Photo of the Inmarsat-6 F1 satellite getting set for thermal vacuum tests. Image is courtesy of Inmarsat / and Airbus Defence and Space.

MHI Launch Services enjoys an extremely high success rate of 98.1% and has provided 47 successful consecutive launches, delivered on-time and to the customer’s satisfaction. MHI provides a dedicated launch service for the I-6 F1 launch with the H-IIA Launch Vehicle, configured as H2A204/4S, with 4 Solid Rocket boosters (SRB-As) and 4m diameter payload fairing.

The core stages of the H2A launch vehicle are undergoing final checks at MHI’s factory in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, ahead of their shipment to the launch site on Tanegashima island, Kagoshima Prefecture, which is located in the southwest of Japan.

"Our first Inmarsat 6 satellite, I-6F1, is the largest and most advanced commercial communications satellite ever launched and we look forward to the event in Japan with our trusted partner, MHI," said Rajeev Suri, Inmarsat CEO. "The I-6s are Inmarsat's first ever hybrid L- and Ka-band satellites, incorporating increased capacity and new technological advances for ELERA's transformational L-band services alongside additional Global Xpress high-speed broadband capacity. They demonstrate Inmarsat's ongoing investment and commitment as a global leader for the benefit of mobility customers worldwide, delivering an enhanced platform for world-changing technologies that ELERA enables, including the Industrial Internet of Things, by providing dramatically increased network capacity and resilience. I-6 F1 also plays an integral role in the reliable geostationary earth orbit infrastructure that underpins Inmarsat ORCHESTRA - the world's first network that will combine geostationary, low earth orbit and terrestrial 5G into one harmonious solution."
"We are honored to have been selected by Inmarsat, a leader in the global mobile satellite communication industry, to provide launch services for their first satellite in the Inmarsat-6 series," said Tomoe Nishigaya, Vice President & Senior General Manager for Space Systems in MHI. "We strongly believe and expect that Inmarsat's L-band services, ELERA, and Global Xpress high-speed broadband capacity delivered by their I-6 fleet of satellites will trigger further growth of demands in the global mobile satellite communication market. Again, we are excited and sincerely appreciate the opportunity to be part of such an innovative mission as a launch services provider. We are committed to providing highly reliable launch services for this 45th mission of H-IIA, following the success of previous missions. We intend to support Inmarsat and its partners with best efforts and great teamwork through the final preparation for the successful launch."

Filed Under: Constellation, Launch, Launch Vehicle, Satellites

Primary Sidebar

Most Read Stories

  • SpaceX Completes Two Starlink Launches In Two Days For A Total Of 106 Constellation Companions
  • UPDATE: Blue Origin's NS-21 Mission Launch Date Is Announced
  • Sierra Space Selects Siemens Xcelerator Software And Services For Commercial Space Venture
  • Maxar's Satellite Imagery Brings To Light Additional Damage To The Ukraine By Russian Attack Forces
  • Continuing Their Support For USAF Geospatial Intelligence Is Raytheon Intelligence & Space

About Satnews

  • Contacts
  • History

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020

Secondary Sidebar

x
Sign up Now (For Free)
Access daily or weekly satellite news updates covering all aspects of the commercial and military satellite industry.
Invalid email address
Notify Me Regarding ( At least one ):
We value your privacy and will not sell or share your email or other information with any other company. You may also unsubscribe at anytime.

Click Here to see our full privacy policy.
Thanks for subscribing!