spacetoday.net: Inmarsat shifts next satellite to Proton

Posted: Wed, Aug 8, 2007, 7:57 AM ET (1157 GMT)
Proton launch (file photo)

Mobile satellite company Inmarsat has signed a contract with International Launch Services to launch its next satellite on a Proton next year. The contract, announced yesterday, will allow the Inmarsat 4 F3 satellite to launch in March or April of 2008 on a Proton M. Inmarsat had a contract with Lockheed Martin for an Atlas 5 launch of the spacecraft, but given the current Atlas manifest could not secure a launch slot until early 2009. Inmarsat will retain the Atlas 5 launch reservation, but possibly sell it to another company. The announcement came the same day that Inmarsat announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2007, with revenues of $143.4 million, up 15.5% over the same quarter of 2006, and EBITDA of $101.2 million, up 22.8% from a year ago.