The next evolution of Global Xpress – the most resilient and flexible global mobile communications network
Inmarsat’s fifth Global Xpress satellite, GX5, started commercial service in December 2020. It represents a significant advance in the capabilities of Inmarsat’s global wideband service and heralds the start of an unprecedented enhancement in the overall capacity and capabilities of the network.
The Inmarsat-6 (I-6) satellites are the largest and most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever to be launched. I-6 feature both a Global Xpress (K-band) and ELERA (L-band) payload to power enhanced capabilities, coverage and capacity of our world leading communications networks for our global mobility, government and Internet of Things (IoT) customers. I-6 F1, the first of two satellites, launched on 22 December 2021.
The launch of I-6 F1 signals the start of our visionary and fully funded technology roadmap which will see a further six satellites launched by 2024.
Global Xpress Arctic payloads, GX10A & 10B, are scheduled to launch in 2023 will operate in Highly Elliptical Orbits (HEO)and will cover the entire Arctic Circle, providing continuous, assured communications to tactical and strategic government users operating in the Arctic region. Building on Inmarsat’s current capabilities up to and beyond 75º North, the new Global Xpress Arctic payloads will improve network performance in very high latitudes by flying directly overhead, providing Global Xpress antennas with much higher elevation angles to optimize throughput. Importantly, these payloads will also provide military Ka capacity through service beams and high-capacity steerable beams, complementing military satellite resources cost effectively for optimal redundancy, protection, scalability and global portability. The two payloads to be carried on the Space Norway satellites. They will integrate seamlessly into the existing and planned Global Xpress network and will be fully compatible with current and future Global Xpress terminals.
The next evolution of Global Xpress
GX7, 8 & 9, with the first satellite scheduled to launch in 2024, once again provides ground-breaking innovation to anticipate and match accelerating worldwide demand for government mobile connectivity. It redefines Inmarsat’s renowned global mobile communications and seamlessly integrates increased diversity, redundancy, interoperability and resilience to a government architecture without additional infrastructure investment from end users. Backed by the most advanced cybersecurity features of any global network, the next evolution of Global Xpress will deliver dynamically formed beams that enable agile and precise allocation of ultra, high-power capacity over high-demand areas and allow for superior interference resistance. This innovative software-defined global architecture with GEO satellites has flexible payloads that can be relocated when and where required across the geostationary arc and connect to any Inmarsat software-defined ground network node, enabling higher throughput speeds and flexible and dynamic capacity scaling based on user-specific resource demands.