spacetoday.net: Inmarsat signs launch deal with SpaceX

Posted: Thu, Jul 3, 2014, 8:49 AM ET (1249 GMT)
Falcon Heavy illustration (SpaceX)

Mobile satellite communications company Inmarsat announced Tuesday it has signed a contract with SpaceX for up to three missions through the end of the decade. The contract covers the launch of a satellite under a joint agreement with Hellas-sat, called both EuropaSat and Hellas-sat 3, planned for 2016. Inmarsat also has an agreement with SpaceX to launch its fourth Inmarsat 5 series satellite as early as mid-2016, and for a third satellite that could be for the company's future Inmarsat 6 system towards the end of the decade. Inmarsat said it plans to use SpaceX's Falcon Heavy vehicle for those launches, but will retain the option to use the smaller Falcon 9. The deal is SpaceX's latest foray into the commercial communications satellite launch market, putting more pressure on existing launch providers.