Inmarsat-5 F2 satellite launch preparations underway
Preparations for the launch of the second Global Xpress satellite, Inmarsat-5 F2 (I-5 F2), are now at an advanced stage at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The satellite has been successfully enclosed in the payload fairing which will protect it in the first minutes following lift-off – scheduled for 12:31 GMT on Sunday 1 February.
The fairing – which together with the encapsulated satellite comprises the ascent unit – plays a vital role by absorbing the acoustic roar from the Proton launch rocket engines and the high dynamic air pressure and transonic shock that will hit just one minute into the flight.
