Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Inmarsat-6 F1 launch

Tune in to watch the launch of I-6 F1 from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

I-6 F1

Inmarsat owns and operates 14 satellites in geostationary orbit 35,786km (22,236 miles) above the Earth, delivering three market-leading networks.

Inmarsat-6 F1

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Mission: Communications

Geostationary Transfer Orbit Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-1 Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Inmarsat-6 is the sixth generation of satellites for the London-based global mobile satellite communications operator Inmarsat. It consists of a dual mission to augment both L-band and Ka-band Global Xpress services. Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract by Inmarsat to design and develop the first two Inmarsat-6 (I-6) mobile communications satellites, creating the most versatile mobile services satellites in its fleet. The two I-6 satellites are based on Airbus Defence and Space's Eurostar platform in its E3000e variant, which exclusively uses electric propulsion for orbit raising. The satellites take advantage of the reduction in mass that this electric propulsion technology enables for a dual payload mission, with an exceptionally large next generation digitally processed payload. I-6 F1 and F2 both carry a large 9 m aperture L-band antenna and nine multibeam Ka-band antennas, and feature a high level of flexibility and connectivity. A new generation modular digital processor provides full routing flexibility over up to 8000 channels and dynamic power allocation to over 200 spot beams in L-band. Ka-band spot beams are steerable over the full Earth disk, with flexible channel to beam allocation.

Updates

SwGustav • Dec. 22, 2021, 6:26 p.m.

Successful launch confirmed by Inmarsat


Cosmic_Penguin • Dec. 19, 2021, 6:43 a.m.

One day slip due to weather forecasts.


Nosu • Dec. 18, 2021, 10:41 p.m.

T-0 confirmed


Cosmic_Penguin • Nov. 4, 2021, 3:38 a.m.

Launch date and window announced.


H-IIA

Family:
Configuration: 204

H-IIA (H2A) was an expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch Akatsuki, which studied the planet Venus. Launches occur at the Tanegashima Space Center.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    53.0 m
  • Diameter
    4.0 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    4.0 m
  • Launch Mass
    445.0 T
  • Thrust
    2260.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    H-IIA
  • Family
  • Variant
    204
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    H-IIA 204
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $90000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    6000.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

(MHI)

President: Seiji Izumisawa Founded: 1884 Successes: 52 Failures: 1 Pending: 14

Agency Type:

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group. MHI's products include aerospace components, air conditioners, aircraft, automotive components, forklift trucks, hydraulic equipment, machine tools, missiles, power generation equipment, printing machines, ships and space launch vehicles. Through its defense-related activities, it is the world's 23rd-largest defense contractor measured by 2011 defense revenues and the largest based in Japan.

INFO WIKI

Related News

Spaceflight Now

H-2A rocket deploys powerful satellite for mobile telecom operator Inmarsat

The first in a new line of powerful dual-band satellites for Inmarsat’s communications network linking ships, airplanes, and other mobile customers successfully launched Wednesday aboard a Japanese H-2A rocket.

SpaceNews

MHI launches Inmarsat’s first dual-band satellite

Inmarsat’s first dual-band telecommunications satellite launched Dec. 22 aboard Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ H-2A rocket.

NASA Spaceflight

H-IIA launches next-generation Inmarsat-6 Flight 1 satellite

Japan is set to launch the Inmarsat-6 Flight 1 (I-6 F1) satellite Wednesday as a part of Inmarsat’s next-generation satellite broadband service. I-6 F1 will launch aboard an H-IIA 204 rocket during a two-hour launch window that opens at 11…

Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-1


Falcon 9
Success
8 hours, 5 minutes ago
Starlink Group 11-6
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 3
Success
1 day, 6 hours ago
TJSW-14
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Long March 6A
Success
1 day, 16 hours ago
G60 Polar Group 06
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technolo…


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 6 hours ago
Starlink Group 11-8
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 16 hours ago
Starlink Group 13-1
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Ceres-1
Success
4 days, 12 hours ago
5 satellites
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Carried 5 satellites to sun synchronous orbit: * Yunyao-1 37 to 40 * Jitianxing A-05


Long March 2D
Success
1 week ago
PRSC-EO1
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Optical Earth observation satellite for SUPARCO of Pakistan. Hitchhiking payloads: * DAO-1 * Blue Carbon 1


Starship
Failure
1 week ago
Flight 7
Orbital Launch Mount A - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

Seventh test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle.


New Glenn
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Maiden Flight
Launch Complex 36A - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Maiden flight of the New Glenn launch vehicle. Will carry the prototype Blue Ring payload tug and payload hoisting platform, consisting of communicat…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Mission 1 & Hakuto-R M2 “Resilience”
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Blue Ghost is a commercial lunar lander developed by Firefly Aerospace for NASA’s CLPS program. Blue Ghost is designed to bring up to 155kg of payloa…