Sea Launch Company successfully delivered today the Inmarsat-4 (I-4) communications satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).

Sized similarly to a London double-decker bus and weighing nearly six tons, once in operation the Inmarsat-4 (I-4) spacecraft will deliver simultaneous voice and 3G-compatible broadband data services to mobile users across North, Central and South America.

The Saturday launch of the Inmarsat-4 satellite was delayed due to an automated halt in the launch countdown system, prior to fueling.

"The successful launch of the second I-4 satellite means that Inmarsat now has the world's most sophisticated commercial network for mobile voice and data services," said Andrew Sukawaty, CEO and chairman of Inmarsat.

The satellite will now begin deployment and testing, with a number of key milestones ahead before being fully-deployed in geostationary orbit, 35,786 kilometres (22,237 miles) above the Equator, over northern Brazil.

The Inmarsat-4 satellite is designed to provide high-speed mobile service to people throughout the Americas. It is one in a series of satellites designed to support the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN).

Photo credit: Sea-Launch

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