Thales Alenia Space has completed the construction and related sub-system tests of a satellite, which will provide in-flight connectivity for Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN).

Scheduled to be launched by next year by SpaceX, the satellite has been manufactured in Toulouse and Cannes, France.

The satellite, which received its S-band payload module in early July at Thales Alenia Space’s testing centre in Cannes, is currently undergoing system end-to-end testing.

Thales’ Cannes-based testing centre has also conducted the integration of the satellite, which is custom-designed to provide mobile satellite services (MSS) to aircraft flying over European routes.

Inmarsat Aviation president Leo Mondale said: “The European Aviation Network has been specifically engineered to meet the connectivity needs of the aviation industry and is a cornerstone in our expanding worldwide mobile cellular network.

“It will offer unprecedented high-speed capacity at 75Mb/s with near zero latency while flying over Europe, so passengers can enjoy an easy-to-use true broadband experience for internet streaming, gaming and other online services direct to their personal smart devices.

“In addition, with no moving parts on the aircraft, the solution is not only lightweight, but also easy to install, very robust and low-maintenance.”

"The European Aviation Network has been specifically engineered to meet the connectivity needs of the aviation industry."

The EAN will include the multi-beam satellite and a ground network of nearly 300 new LTE sites across Europe to be operated by Inmarsat’s partner Deutsche Telekom.

Once operational, the aircraft will be able to switch automatically between satellite and terrestrial connectivity using an on-board network communicator.

Over the next few months, the newly built satellite will be placed into a thermal vacuum chamber with no pressure to simulate the space environment and cycled through extreme high and low temperatures to ensure its smooth operation.

After completing mechanical and acoustic testing, the satellite will undergo the final phase testing to compare any shifts or variations in measurements against the initial base line.

Image: Thales Alenia Space assembles the communication module of Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network satellite. Photo: Courtsey of Thales Alenia Space.