Inmarsat-6

Meet Inmarsat-6, the sixth generation of satellites for the London-based global mobile satellite communications operator Inmarsat.

Inmarsat-6 F1 is the first among the two-satellite I-6 constellation. The I-6 F1 and I-6 F2 satellites will provide mobile communication services worldwide with F2 scheduled to be launched by SpaceX in 2022.

Inmarsat-6 F1 will support Global Xpress (GX) services introduced by Inmarsat in 2015. The GX high-throughput broadband services offered by the satellite will include advanced global safety services, low-cost mobile services, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Inmarsat

Inmarsat is a British satellite telecommunications company that offers global mobile services.

It primarily provides telephone and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate with ground stations through fourteen geostationary telecommunications satellites.

Photo Credit: Airbus

H-IIA is Japan’s medium-lift rocket.

The H-IIA overall (both its variants) is a rare rocket; it started as a government-owned and operated launcher under the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in the mid- to late-1990s and transitioned in 2007 to a privately-held, commercially offered rocket by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

It has only suffered a single failure. In November 2003, a burn through on one of the solid rocket boosters destroyed its separation system causing it to remain attached after burn out. The added mass of the spent booster prevented the rocket from achieving orbit.

The H-IIA 204 is one of two operational variants of the H-IIA rocket. The “204” designation indicates 2 (number of main stages), 0 (number of side-mounted liquid-fueled boosters), 4 (number of strap-on solid rocket boosters).

While additional stages and liquid-fueled boosters were originally envisioned, they never came to be. Therefore, the H-IIA always has two stages and never has liquid-fueled strap-on boosters, so the first two numbers never change.

Notable launches include:

• numerous geostationary communications satellites,
• military and civilian reconnaissance satellites,
• Telstar 12 Vantage.

Image: JAXA

LA-Y1

Launch Area - Yoshinobu Launch Complex 1 (LA-Y1 for short) is part of a two-launch-pad area of the Tanegashima Space Center used for the H-II family of rockets.

The pad is located just 190 meters (624 ft) from neighboring pad LA-Y2.

The overall two-pad Yoshinobu Launch Complex is the northernmost launch site of the Tanegashima Space Center.

Rockets are assembled and processed vertically in the vehicle assembly building before technicians roll them out to the launch pad, a journey of 365 meters.

LA-Y1 hosted its first launch in February 1994 and has been active ever since.

Tanegashima Space Center

The Tanegashima Space Center is Japan's largest launch center and gets its name from the island Tanegashima it is located on.

Located in southern Japan, it is part of the overall Range, which handles Japan’s orbital launches.

The center opened for operations in October 1969 as part of the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). It is now owned by JAXA.

Tanegashima includes the Yoshinobu Launch Complex for the H-IIA and H-IIB rockets, a Vehicle Assembly Building, a Spacecraft Test and Assembly Building, and the Takesaki Range Control Center.

Image: Wikipedia