Inmarsat 5 F1 Launch onboard an ILS Proton Breeze M Rocket. Photo: Boeing

[Via Satellite 12-09-13] ILS successfully launched the first of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress satellites, Inmarsat 5, which has already sent signals from orbit.

The spacecraft was launched on a Proton Breeze M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Dec. 8 at 7:12 a.m. EST. This was ILS’ seventh launch of 2013, Boeing’s 16th-manufactured satellite to launch on an ILS Proton, and the third Inmarsat satellite launched on Proton overall.

Controllers confirmed that the satellite was functioning as expected approximately 16 hours after liftoff. Once it reaches final orbit, the spacecraft will complete several additional maneuvers and tests before officially beginning service for Inmarsat.

Built by Boeing, the Inmarsat 5 satellite series will provide global mobile broadband communications for vessels at sea, in-flight connectivity for airline passengers, and streaming high-resolution video, voice and data, among other services.

Boeing is currently building the Inmarsat 5 F2 and F3 satellites in El Segundo, Calif. with launches scheduled for next year. The company has a distribution partnership with Inmarsat to provide L- and Ka-band payload capacity and managed services to key users within the U.S. government.