24 May 2017: The satellite which will power Inmarsat’s revolutionary European Aviation Network (EAN) has been shipped to the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana in preparation for launch in June.

Inmarsat’s S-band satellite is part of a condominium satellite, or ‘condosat’, constructed by Thales Alenia Space, which incorporates a second payload for Hellas-Sat. It will be launched by Arianespace on an Ariane 5 rocket.

The first of its kind worldwide, the EAN will combine high capacity, multi-beam satellite coverage with a complementary 4G LTE ground network, developed by Deutsche Telekom, to provide high-speed passenger Wi-Fi on flights across all European Union states.

Busy routes

Designed specifically for high-traffic flight paths and busy airport hubs, the integrated network will deliver high-speed capacity so that passengers can enjoy a reliable broadband service in the air that matches their expectations on the ground.

The Hellas-Sat satellite will provide fixed satellite and broadcast satellite services to Europe, the Middle East and Southern Africa.

Built on Thales Alenia Space’s Spacebus 4000 C4 platform, the condosat will weigh about 5.8 tonnes at launch and will offer payload power of approximately 12.7 kW. It will be positioned at 39° East.