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Atlas 5 picked by Inmarsat for launch agreement ILS NEWS RELEASE Posted: June 13, 2005 Less than three months after the successful launch of the first of its next-generation satellites, Inmarsat has returned to International Launch Services (ILS) to add the Atlas V vehicle as an option for future I-4 launches.
"We're pleased to have helped Inmarsat lay the foundation for its new broadband service by launching the first I-4 satellite this year," said ILS President Mark Albrecht. "We thank Inmarsat for again putting its confidence in ILS and Atlas V." "The new contract for Atlas V provides flexibility to serve as a backup for the launch of the Inmarsat-4 F2 spacecraft, now nearing completion at EADS Astrium in Toulouse," said Gene Jilg, Inmarsat vice president responsible for the Inmarsat-4 program. "Backup capability using a different vehicle family from the prime has been a hallmark of Inmarsat's strategy for three satellite generations. Atlas has delivered 100 percent reliability for Inmarsat thus far and we look forward to continued success."
ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md., and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center of Moscow. ILS is the global leader in launch services, offering the industry's two best launch systems: Atlas and Proton. With a remarkable launch rate of 74 missions since 2000, the Atlas and Proton launch vehicles have consistently demonstrated the reliability and flexibility that have made them preferred choice among satellite operators worldwide. ILS is headquartered in McLean, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C. |
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A status report on the Expedition 11 crew's mission aboard the International Space Station is given during this news conference Monday. (55min 54sec file)
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