p1-20:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 14:26 Page 1 September 2013 Satellite launch to extend IN THIS ISSUE FleetBroadband capabilities satcoms The successful launch of Inmarsat’s Alphasat satellite will see the company Flat antenna for maritime able to extend the capacity of its FleetBroadband network – while also providing satcoms – 4 a welcome counterpoint to worries over whether a Proton rocket failure could Thuraya delivers MBB in Asia – 10 cause the launch of the company’s Global Xpress programme to be delayed Polar VSAT – the next step in n eventful summer at To start on a positive note, the slot for several weeks while Inmarsat, Arctic broadband – 16 Inmarsat has seen the com- I-4A F4 launch of Alphasat, a together with ESA (European Space AApany mix triumph with trep- telecommunications satellite which Agency), continues testing the tele- Maritime bandwidth – full speed idation, as its successful launch of the will complement Inmarsat’s L-band com payload, the backup units on the ahead or steady as she goes? – 20 latest satellite in its constellation, FleetBroadband network, should Alphabus platform and ESA’s four Alphasat, was preceded by market provide a significant boost to per- hosted payloads. worries about the launch provider it formance and availability of Inmarsat, which owns and oper- software has selected for the introduction of FleetBroadband services in the ates Alphasat, has invested $350 mil- Global Xpress (GX). Europe, Middle East and Africa lion into what it calls one of the most region, where traffic is currently technically advanced telecommunica- CSCL equips containerships heaviest. tions satellites ever constructed for with ECO-Assistant – 22 An Ariane 5 rocket carrying the civilian applications. spacecraft took off on July 25 from the The satellite has previously been Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, called an ‘I4-and-a-half’, given that it Maritime technology R&D French Guiana, and a successful will be used to augment the existing venture in Japan – 29 spacecraft separation was achieved I4 satellite network used to provide 27 minutes and 45 seconds into the FleetBroadband services since 2009, Steaming into the cloud – 30 mission. The Alphasat Mission extending the life of the fleet and pro- Operations Team confirmed that they viding additional redundancy. had taken command of the satellite “Alphasat will strengthen our electronics and shortly afterwards. existing I-4 series satellite constella- I-4A F4 was placed in a temporary tion, providing coverage over navigation position in the geostationary ring at Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” the beginning of August, where it said Rupert Pearce, CEO of Inmarsat. ECDIS training – deployed its 11m-diameter main “The launch demonstrates antenna. The satellite has also suc- Inmarsat’s long-term commitment to the reality – 40 cessfully deployed its twin four-panel L-band services, and marks a signifi- solar wings, spanning 40m. cant milestone in the evolution of Getting more from VDR – 44 The solar panels rotate automati- Inmarsat’s flagship satellite fleet, cally, following the Sun, while bringing new capabilities both in The importance of Alphasat’s attitude control system terms of performance and resource BNWAS – 46 tracks its position above Earth. availability.” Alphasat was successfully launched At the time of going to press the Alphasat was designed and manu- The case for early ECDIS – 48 at the end of July satellite was scheduled to stay in this factured by Astrium, and Inmarsat continued on page 2 “Ready for the Internet” www.reformstudio.no Captain Victorio Velonza, Q.C. Manager, Ishima Shipmanagement Singapore Ishima International Shipmangement in Singapore operates 27 ships in world wide trade. Captain Victorio Velonza has already installed Dualog Connection Suite on all the ships with a clear plan to move forward. “Our experience with Dualog is a combination of a user-friendly system and people you can trust. As we are now looking forward to introducing Internet onboard, we know that Dualog Connection Suite will provide exactly what we need to manage and take control in an eff ective way”, concludes a smiling Captain Velonza. www.dualog.com (+47) 77 62 19 00 or [email protected] p1-20:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 14:37 Page 2 SATCOMS continued from page 1 says that it is the largest and most sophis- ticated European telecommunications satellite ever built. It is also the largest Public-Private-Partnership space project Vol 14 No 1 in Europe, notes Inmarsat, which has teamed up with the European Space Digital Ship Limited Agency (ESA) to carry it out. 2nd Floor, Commercial operations on the 2-5 Benjamin Street, Alphasat satellite are expected to begin London EC1M 5QL , U.K. during Q4 of this year. www.thedigitalship.com GX delay fears PUBLISHER The success of the Alphasat launch pro- Stuart Fryer vided a timely boost to Inmarsat, coming EDITOR just a few short weeks after the explosion Rob O'Dwyer: Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 3410 of a satellite launch attempt by a Proton M email: [email protected] rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan had prompted fears that the The satellite’s twin four-panel solar wings span 40m. Photo: ESA SENIOR NEWS REPORTER introduction of Inmarsat’s Ka-band Global Cecile Brisson: Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 3405 Xpress network could be delayed. email: [email protected] International Launch Services (ILS) has This uncertainty over the launch of the phase, where it will be subjected to the been contracted by Inmarsat to provide GX programme led to a drop in Inmarsat’s void of space and the large temperature CONFERENCE PRODUCER launch services for all three launches of its share price, which had closed at 695p on variations it will experience in orbit. Cathy Hodge: Tel +44 (0) 20 7253 2700 GX satellites, also using the Proton launch July 2nd before the news broke but fell to Inmarsat says that these tests are email: [email protected] vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. 663p by the close of trading on July 3rd – a designed to ensure that the satellite can ADVERTISING The first of these GX launches is cur- drop of approximately 4.5 per cent. operate reliably for its projected life cycle Ria Kontogeorgou: Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 3401 rently scheduled for the fourth quarter of However, subsequent positive financial of more than 15 years. email: [email protected] 2013, but the failure of this most recent results as well as an increase in dividends The second and third Inmarsat-5 satel- launch has led to renewed concerns over to shareholders have since more than com- lites, currently in development by Boeing EXHIBITION SALES the viability of the Proton rocket for pensated for this drop, with the share Space & Intelligence Systems, will endure Young Suk Park: Tel: +44 (0)20 3287 9317 these flights. price having climbed above 720p at the similar testing prior to the launch. email: [email protected] The launch of the Proton M/Block time of going to press, well above its level “With each passing test, another step PRODUCTION DM-03 mission with three Glonass navi- prior to the Proton failure. in the process is completed and we move gational satellites for the Russian Federal forward to launching the satellites that Vivian Chee: Tel: +44 (0)20 8995 5540 GX developments email: [email protected] Government resulted in a failure when, will power the first global Ka-band about ten seconds after lift-off, the rocket Despite the issues with the Proton launch broadband network over satellite,” con- EVENTS MANAGER veered off of its flight path and returned vehicle, Inmarsat has been able to cluded Mr Carnevale. Jo McGhee to earth. announce a number of positive recent Inmarsat has also recently agreed a new Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 3412 This most recent failure is the third developments for its GX programme. strategic partnership with RigNet, a sat- email: [email protected] troubled launch for the Proton M rocket in The company reported that the first com services provider to oil and gas mar- the last twelve months. fully assembled Inmarsat-5 Ka-band kets, which will see RigNet become a CONSULTANT WRITER In August 2012 a mission to launch satellite, which will be used to provide Global Xpress distribution partner for the Dr Andy Norris (navigation) Indonesian and Russian telecommunica- the Global Xpress service, has successful- global energy sector. [email protected] tion satellites failed to deliver them into ly completed mechanical testing at Inmarsat says that RigNet has entered DIGITAL SHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS orbit, while a December 2012 launch of Boeing’s manufacturing facility in El into to a “significant four-year Global €180 per year for 10 issues another Russian satellite was hampered Segundo, California, and that the satel- Xpress capacity pre-purchase” agreement contact [email protected], by a premature separation of the satellite lite is now ready to move to the next as part of the deal. or phone Stephan Venter on: from the rocket. phase of testing as preparations continue As part of the partnership agreement +44 (0)20 7017 3407 Inmarsat has said that it is currently for launch. Inmarsat has also agreed to sell to RigNet awaiting the outcome of an investigation The recently completed tests included a its retail energy operations, currently DIGITAL SHIP JAPAN into the failure of the Proton launch vehi- simulated launch, which was designed to managed within the Inmarsat Solutions The Capitol Hotel Tokyu, Tokyo cle, and notes that, “while it is too early to expose the spacecraft to the environmental Enterprise business unit, for a total con- 3-4 September 2013 determine any schedule impact of the fail- conditions it will be subjected to during sideration of US$25 million.