Inmarsat GX5 very-high-throughput telecommunications satellite successfully launched
Cannes, France, Nov. 27, 2019 –
The Inmarsat GX5 geostationary telecommunications satellite has been successfully orbited by Arianespace atop an Ariane 5 launcher from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. Built for Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, by prime contractor Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), this satellite will boost Inmarsat's Global Xpress (GX) broadband network, offering more capacity for inflight Wi-Fi services covering the Middle East, and Europe. The world's first and only globally available true broadband service delivered through a single operator, the Inmarsat GX service operates in the Ka-band and is designed and optimized for mobile applications.
Weighing less than 4 metric tons at launch, Inmarsat GX5 satellite is built around the Spacebus 4000 B2 platform. It is the most powerful telecommunications satellite that Thales Alenia Space has ever built in the Spacebus 4000 B2 category. It has an estimated design life of more than 16 years.
Inmarsat GX5 is the 17th telecommunications satellite designed by Thales Alenia Space to have been successfully launched this year.