- GX Aviation reaches key milestone to offer passengers the freedom to stay connected to high-speed, in-flight Wi-Fi virtually anywhere around the globe
Phoenix and London | February 7, 2014–
The goal of delivering ‘home equivalent’ high-speed, consistent wireless internet connectivity for passengers and pilots on aircraft came a step closer today. In a joint announcement, Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT.L) confirmed that they have finalised the critical design review (CDR) of the GX Aviation aircraft avionics on schedule. It is anticipated that product certifications will be achieved later this year, followed by product introduction which is expected during the first half of 2015.
Targeting both passenger aircraft and business jets, GX Aviation is the first, truly global, high-speed, in-flight connectivity service that will provide data rates to the aircraft of up to 50Mbps. Using GX Aviation, passengers will be able to do everything from real-time social media updates and emails to live-streaming TV, all while in flight, and from virtually anywhere in the world, over both land and sea.
Completing the CDR marks the final development review for the GX Aviation aircraft avionics programme. Inmarsat and Honeywell engineers completed the evaluation on schedule and executed a comprehensive audit of the system design, engineering model hardware and programme.
Completion of this major milestone follows the successful launch of Inmarsat-5 F1 – the first of three Ka-band satellites – from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russia on 8th December 2013. The second and third satellites are scheduled to launch later this year, providing full global coverage by the end of 2014.
“Successful completion of our final design review is one more milestone along our path to product introduction in the first half of 2015,” said Jack Jacobs, vice president of Marketing, Honeywell Safety and Information Systems. “We are on track to bring a new level of high-speed, in-fight connectivity to consumers and airlines around the world, regardless of whether it is a domestic or international flight. In addition, we are actively working with several air transport and business aviation manufacturers to provide GX Aviation and to enable a truly connected aircraft from gate to gate and from ground to over 12,000 meters.”
“A comprehensive team from both Inmarsat and Honeywell has completed its analysis of every aspect of Honeywell’s satcom system to ensure it meets all our design criteria. We are confident that the Honeywell avionics, like the rest of the GX Aviation programme, will be ready for service launch in 2015. GX Aviation will bring a new dawn in aircraft connectivity, providing high-speed broadband connectivity for all user requirements throughout the flight,” said Miranda Mills, president, Inmarsat Aviation.
During the process, Inmarsat’s team reviewed the final functional specifications of hardware designs, and the results of engineering units tests. These reviews will enable the continued progress of the GX Aviation programme through product certification in 2014, product launch and global entry into service for commercial, business aviation and government customers in the first half of 2015.
Supporting Resources
- Read more about Honeywell Aerospace
- Read more about Inmarsat GX Aviation
- Follow @Honeywell_Aero on Twitter
- Subscribe to Honeywell’s Corporate RSS feed
- Inmarsat’s new game-changing high-speed satellite will mark the beginning of a new era in satellite broadband communications.
London, UK | December 2, 2013–Inmarsat, (LSE:ISAT.L), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has confirmed the launch date for the first of its game-changing Global Xpress(GX) satellites; Inmarsat-5 F1 (I-5 F1). The satellite is scheduled to be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard an International Launch Services (ILS) Proton Breeze M at 12.12 GMT on Sunday, 8th December.
Constructed by Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inc. (Boeing) to a proven design, the new GX spacecraft is the first of three satellites scheduled to be launched on behalf of Inmarsat by ILS.
Rupert Pearce, CEO of Inmarsat, said: “Global Xpress is the result of three years of planning and, together with a fourth GX satellite we ordered recently from Boeing, represents an investment of US$1.6 billion in our next generation of high bandwidth, high capacity, mobile broadband communications satellites. Global Xpress will ensure our satellite services fully support the current and future needs of end-users across the world – whether on land, at sea or in the air.”
The GX fleet is on schedule to achieve full global coverage by the end of 2014. It will offer a unique combination of seamless global coverage from a single operator, consistent higher performance of up to 50Mbps to mobile or fixed terminals, and the network reliability for which Inmarsat is renowned.
The launch of Inmarsat-5 F1 can be watched live online at http://inmarsat5f1.
London, UK | November 11, 2013– Inmarsat, (LSE:ISAT.L), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, announced that the first of its game-changing Global Xpress satellites – designated Inmarsat-5 F1 – has travelled from California to its launch site in Kazakhstan. The 6,100Kg spacecraft departed from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Saturday 9th November aboard an Antonov AN-124 heavy transporter and arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Monday 11th November.
The spacecraft was constructed at Boeing’s El Segundo facility in California and is the first of three Global Xpress satellites scheduled to be launched on behalf of Inmarsat by ILS (International Launch Services). Inmarsat-5 F1 is scheduled to be available to support a launch in December from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, located approximately 2,100 km (1,300 miles) southeast of Moscow, by a Proton Breeze M launch vehicle.
A fourth satellite has recently been ordered from Boeing.
“This is an exciting day for Inmarsat and all our partners,” said Michele Franci, Vice President, GX Commercial. “Global Xpress is the result of three years of planning. To see the first of our satellites leave California for Kazakhstan highlights that Global Xpress will soon be a reality. For end users on land, at sea and in the air, Global Xpress will mark a step change in their ability to access high speed broadband services, regardless of where they happen to be.”
Inmarsat’s next generation Global Xpress service will be the world’s first globally available high-speed broadband network. The Global Xpress fleet is on course to meet its scheduled completion and is currently expected to achieve full global coverage by the end of 2014. It will offer a unique combination of global coverage from a single operator, consistent higher performance of up to 50Mbps, and the network reliability for which Inmarsat is renowned.
Inflight connectivity is about getting data to and from a passenger’s laptop, or getting their voice to the right ear, wherever that might be. The technology behind it may not be interesting to passengers, but it is technological developments, such as TriaGnoSys’ new GSM roaming solution, that drive increased efficiencies, reduce costs and thereby enable airlines to offer more connectivity to more people.”