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Dedicated Mission
Launch date
3 April 1996
Position
64° East (Retired)
Manufacturer
Operator
Launch operator
Launch vehicle
Expected lifetime
15 Years
Regions
Asia Pacific Region
Europe Region
Middle East Region
North & Central Africa Region
Oceania Region
Russia & CIS Region
South Africa Region
Launched in 1996 thru 1998, the Inmarsat-3 series satellites were built by Lockheed Martin Astro Space (Lockheed Martin Space Systems) of the USA, responsible for the basic spacecraft, and the European Matra Marconi Space (EADS Astrium – Airbus Defense & Space), which developed the communications payload.
The Inmarsat-3 communications payload can generate a global beam and a maximum of 7 spotbeams. The spotbeams are directed as required to make extra communications capacity available in areas where demand from users is high.
Inmarsat-3 F1 was launched in 1996 to cover the Indian Ocean Region. Over the next two years F2 entered service over Atlantic Ocean Region-East, followed by F3 (Pacific Ocean Region), F4 (Atlantic Ocean Region-West) and F5 (limited services on a single spot beam, back-up and leased capacity).
Inmarsat-3 F2 was launched without apogee kick motor, as the Proton-K Blok-DM1 launch vehicle, operated by launch operator ILS, was capable of direct GSO injection. The satellite is retired but kept active for existing and evolved services only.
Inmarsat-3 F4 was retired in 2016 and was moved into a graveyard orbit above the geostationary belt but kept active for existing and evolved services only.
Inmarsat-3 F1 was successfully launched on April 3rd, 1996 on an Atlas IIA rocket booster operated by Lockheed Martin from the Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA.
The satellite is retired and moved into a graveyard orbit above the geostationary belt but kept active for existing and evolved services only.
Dedicated Mission
Dedicated Mission