Our satellites
Pioneers in satellite communication
Inmarsat was the operator of the first global mobile satellite communications system - its goal to enable merchant ships to stay in touch across the oceans and to call for help in an emergency.
Today Inmarsat owns and operates three global constellations of 11 satellites flying in geosynchronous orbit 37,786 km (22,240 statute miles) above the Earth.
Award for innovation
Our first wholly owned satellites, the Inmarsat-2s, were launched in the early 1990s, and the Inmarsat-3s - the first generation to use spot beam technology - followed later in the decade.
The Inmarsat-4 satellites - winner in 2010 of the Royal Academy of Engineering's prestigious MacRobert Award for innovation - established the world's first global 3G network in 2009. They are expected to remain in service until 2020 and beyond.
Mobile coverage
In the meantime, Inmarsat has entered into agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to become the commercial operator of a new satellite called Alphasat.
Built by Astrium, Alphasat is scheduled for completion in 2012, when it will supplement the I-4 satellites by providing L-band mobile coverage of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The Inmarsat-5s
A new constellation of Ka-band satellites, the Inmarsat-5s, is also being built by US manufacturer Boeing, planned for launch in 2013-14. They will form the backbone of our new Inmarsat Global Xpress™ network, offering broadband speeds of 50Mbps around the world.
