14 DAY TRIAL // Officials at the Boeing Corporation announce that the company has just secured a new contract for the construction of three Ka-band communication satellites. The new document, which Boeing signed with Inmarsat, states that the three spacecraft will need to be capable of providing flexible global coverage for telecommunications. They will also have to completeness Inmarsat's current mobile satellite services fleet, representatives from Boeing say. The corporation was selected for this job because of its 40 years of experience with constructing satellites, analysts believe.
“This contract represents a best-value solution that combines Boeing's unmatched commercial satellite heritage and Ka-band satellite communications experience to meet Inmarsat's satellite requirements. Boeing has produced more Ka-band satellite communications systems than any other manufacturer, and we are currently producing the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite series, which is the primary Ka-band system for the US government,” says the general manager and vice president of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems division, Craig Cooning.
The three planned 702HP commercial spacecraft will feature 89 Ka-band beams, which means that they will need to operate from a geosynchronous orbit. “We are committed to a successful partnership with Inmarsat for this newest addition to their service fleet,” Cooning adds. Flexible coverage must however be ensured, in spite of the satellites remaining fixed, always above the same spot on the Earth's surface. The new generation of orbital instruments, called Inmarsat-5, will complement Boeing's track record of 175 commercial communications satellites produced.
“The Boeing satellites will provide Inmarsat with the ability to adapt to shifting subscriber usage patterns of high data rates, specialized applications and evolving demographics over a projected 15-year lifetime. In a separate arrangement, Boeing has also entered into a distribution partnership with Inmarsat to provide L- and Ka-band capacity to key users within the US government. The Inmarsat-5 spacecraft will be compatible with the Ariane, Sea Launch, Proton and Atlas launch vehicles. Launch services will be procured by Inmarsat,” a Boeing press release shows.