Inmarsat Mobile Satellite to be launched from Kazakhstan
By Ben Robinson on Sunday, August 24th, 2008 at 6:34 AM PST In GPS/Satellite Navigation, Infrastructure
No, this isn’t a joke, it’s true! A British mobile satellite, approximately the size of a double-decker bus, is due to be launched in Kazakhstan. This launch completes Inmarsat’s £722mn programme to increase broadband coverage across the world.
The six tonne satellite has already been lifted into launch position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The take-off was previously delayed because of a fault discovered during testing.
An Inmarsat spokesman said: “The Proton M will carry the Inmarsat-4 F3 into geostationary orbit at 22,240 miles.
“Once tested and operational, it will provide satellite phone and mobile broadband services to North and South America at 98 degrees west.
“And together with its two sister satellites, already in orbit, the completed constellation will deliver full and seamless global coverage for our entire range of broadband mobile satellite services.”
This is some crazy stuff, but imagine soon the world will be carpeted in various forms of wireless broadband – I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t update my Facebook profile whilst on the move, and now I can rely on satellite as another channel to do so!
[Via: The Press Association]
Minor quibble – Inmarsat satellites are not really “mobile”. Because of the huge distance to a GEO orbit, you still need a laptop-sized device to connect. Still it’s great for sailors and the shipping industry.
Baikonur is great – middle of absolutely nowhere. Try to find some footage of a Proton launch. They roll the rocket up to the pad on a train (while horizontal), stand it straight up and launch. Protons used to carry nukes in the Cold War days. Watching the launch sequence is like getting a preview of what the end of the world would have looked like. Neat stuff.