Falcon 9 had launched a heavy satellite Inmarsat-5 F4 (5 photos + video)

On Monday 15 may 2017 with the launch pad of the spaceport Pad 39A Kennedy. F. Kennedy, located on Merritt island (PCs FL, USA) near Cape Canaveral was made a successful launch of the rocket Falcon 9 SpaceX with the communications satellite Inmarsat-5 F4 on Board. After half an hour of the flight passed successful separation of the satellite from the second stage carrier, and Inmarsat-5 F4 was launched and deployed on a given geostationary orbit.

Flying in an orbit the satellite is the fourth in a series of global satellite Network (GlobalXpress), created by Inmarsat (UK), is a leading operator in the UK. Formed the company in 2015 the Global Xpress network allows passengers of aircraft and ships to obtain high-frequency broadband communication practically in all territory of the Earth. Global Xpress is also used by many government agencies. The number of clients receiving the opportunity to use the Internet in the air, the largest airline in the world – Austrian Airlines and the Lufthansa Group. The total cost of the Global Xpress programme is 1.6 billion US dollars. The three main satellite networks were sent into space in December 2013, February and August 2015 through rocket proton-M.

Inmarsat-5 F4 is a backup satellite, which provides the possibility of replacing one of the three already in orbit satellites. The mass of the Inmarsat-5 F4 exceeds 6 tons and is the heaviest object launched into space using the Falcon 9 rocket. F4 linear dimensions in assembled condition: 6980 x 3270 mm. 3590х given the large mass of the satellite, leading to almost complete the development of fuel, it was decided not to return to Land the first stage Falcon 9. The rocket went into space without landing struts, which allowed to increase the useful mass into orbit and to increase the supply of fuel. As stated at SpaceX, involved in the first stage had previously been used.

The cost of the satellite is a quarter of a billion dollars, the device is made Inmarsat-5 F4, like all three previous satellites of the series, by the Boeing company. Previously planned satellite launch in 2016, but the deadline had to be postponed because of the accident with the Falcon 9 launch vehicle during ground testing of the engine. It was also planned to carry out the withdrawal of Inmarsat-5 F4 into orbit heavy carrier rocket Falcon Heavy, however its first test flight will only happen this summer.

Source: SpaceX, Inmarsat, NASA