Inmarsat-4F3

Inmarsat-4 is the fourth generation of satellites for the London-based global mobile satellite communications operator Inmarsat. Designed to be around 100 times more powerful than the present generation and to provide a ten-fold increase in communications capacity, the satellites will support the new Broadband Global Area Network (B-GAN), to be introduced in 2004 for internet and intranet solutions, video on demand, video-conferencing, fax, e-mail, telephone, and high-speed LAN access. Two of the satellites were launched in 2005 while the third remained on the ground as a spare until 2008, when it also was launched. As prime contractor, Astrium delivered both the platform (based on the high-power Eurostar-3000GM version of Astrium's Eurostar series) and the payload, including the onboard processor.