Inmarsat-6 F1
Inmarsat-6 F1 is a communications satellite to be operated by the British satellite operator Inmarsat and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space on the Eurostar 3000EOR satellite bus. Part of the Inmarsat-6 satellite fleet, it will be Inmarsat's first dual-payload satellite, with capabilities in both L-band (ELERA) and Ka-band (Global Xpress). Claimed to be the largest and most sophisticated commercial telecommunications satellite ever launched, as the first of two such vehicles, it was placed into supersynchronous transfer orbit on 22 December 2021.[3]
| Names | I6 F1 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Operator | Inmarsat |
| COSPAR ID | 3021-128A |
| SATCAT no. | 50319 |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Eurostar 3000EOR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Defence and Space |
| Launch mass | 5,470 kg (12,060 lb) |
| Power | 21 kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 22 December 2021, 15:32 UTC[1] |
| Rocket | H-IIA 204 (F45) |
| Launch site | Tanegashima, LA-Y1 |
| Contractor | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries[2] |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Transponders | |
| Band | L-band (ELERA) Ka-band (Global Xpress) |
The platform uses electric propulsion for orbit raising in order to reduce the mass compared to traditional systems. The I-6 satellites will be powered by Safran/Snecma PPS-5000 electric propulsion will then raise the satellite into final geosynchronous orbit and will include two deployable solar arrays and batteries. The design life of the I-6F1 will be 15 years.[4]
The L-band payload supports a wide variety of purposes including very low cost mobile services and IoT applications, while the Ka-band payload augments the Global Xpress constellation.[5]
See also
References
- "Inmarsat launch initiates a technology refresh". BBC News. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- "MHI selected by Inmarsat to launch its first Inmarsat-6 satellite". Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- "Satellites". Inmarsat. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
The first Inmarsat-6 spacecraft is scheduled for launch with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) at the end of 2021 with the second to follow in 2022.
- aerospace-technology. "Inmarsat-6 (I-6) Satellites". Verdict Media Limited. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023.
- Krebs, Gunter (24 November 2021). "Inmarsat-6 F1, F2 (GX 6A, 6B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 22 December 2021.