Dear Customers,
We are pleased to announce that International Launch Services (ILS) has now scheduled its next Proton launch, with the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite as its return to flight, for 14 August (13 August UTC) from the Baikonur Cosmodrone in Kazakhstan.
An announcement has been made to the London Stock Exchange this morning confirming the launch date. A copy of the actual press release is below:

McLEAN, Va., and LONDON, 1st July 2008 – Inmarsat plc (LSE: ISAT), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, today announced that International Launch Services (ILS) has scheduled its next Proton Breeze M commercial mission for 14th August (13th August GMT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with the launch of the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite.

The satellite is scheduled to be shipped to Baikonur in early July for a six-week launch programme.  The satellite, an EADS Astrium Eurostar 3000 model, will weigh approximately 6 metric tons at liftoff, perfectly suited for the Proton Breeze M’s lift capability.  Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow, the majority shareholder in ILS, manufactures the Proton system.

The Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite will complete Inmarsat’s next-generation global satellite network, providing broadband MSS services to users everywhere.

This is the first ILS mission since a Breeze M upper stage suffered a failure during the AMC-14 mission in March.  The Proton Breeze M is ready to return to flight now that a Russian State Commission and an ILS-led independent review panel have concluded their inquiries into that incident and corrective actions have been completed.

“Having participated in the Failure Review process in its entirety, I am satisfied that the appropriate actions have been taken to deal with recent failures and to reassess the quality of the Proton vehicle. Inmarsat now expects to transport the satellite to the launch site and complete certain other formalities in sufficient time to target the launch date announced today,” said Gene Jilg, Chief Technology Officer for Inmarsat.

”We thank Inmarsat for its support and patience,” said ILS President Frank McKenna.  “We know how important this satellite is for the continued success of Inmarsat’s growing broadband services, and we look forward to the start of the campaign in the coming days.”

- ends -

About ILS and Khrunichev
ILS provides satellite customers with a complete array of services and support, from contract signing through mission management and on-orbit delivery.  ILS has exclusive rights to market the Proton, Russia’s premier heavy-lift vehicle, to commercial satellite operators worldwide, as well as the Angara next-generation launcher.  ILS is a U.S. company incorporated in Delaware, and headquartered in McLean, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C.  For more information, visit www.ilslaunch.com.
Khrunichev, which holds the majority interest in ILS, is one of the cornerstones of the Russian space industry.  Khrunichev manufactures the Proton system and is developing the Angara launch system.  The Proton launches from facilities at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and has a heritage of more than 330 missions since 1965.  Khrunichev includes among its branches a number of key manufacturers of launch vehicle and spacecraft components in Moscow and in other cities of the Russian Federation.  For more information, visit www.khrunichev.ru.

About Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc (LSE: ISAT) is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications.  Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice and high-speed data communications to governments, enterprises and other organisations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air.  The company’s services are delivered through a global network of more than 500 distribution partners and service providers operating in 180 countries.  For the year ended 31 December 2007, Inmarsat plc had total revenue of US$ 576.5 million.  More information can be found at www.inmarsat.com.

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12-06-2008 - The dramatic final days of the British Armed Forces' Makalu 2008 expedition were relayed to the world via BGAN as four teams reached the end of an exhausting six weeks in the Himalaya.

Family, friends, sponsors and an avid online audience of thousands saw daily updates in words, pictures and video relayed via Inmarsat's broadband global network to the expedition website. 

The main team in the joint services' Makalu 2008 expedition successfully summitted three of its number on Makalu at 8,463 metres (27,770 ft), approaching up the southern slopes.

South-east ridge
The success of Flight Lieutenant Jonathon Percival and his Sherpa, Dawa, was followed a few days later by Major Matt Hing and Lieutenant Lara Herbert with their sherpas, Dendi and Dayula.

A team scaling via the south-east ridge were less fortunate. Despite reaching further along the ridge than any other team since 1976, the final push for the peak proved elusive.

After First Warrant Officer Dick Gale suffered from a sore throat and possible chest infection, south-east team leader Squadron Leader Colin Scott wrote about their struggle to re-climb from base camp at 5,800 metres (19,029 ft) to pre-established camps two, three, four and five in their preparations to reach the summit.

Physical difficulties
After cresting a ridge and setting off in glorious sunshine for camp two at about 6,800 metres (22,310 ft), Colin faced his own physical difficulties. 

"I began to experience similar symptoms to those that had affected Dick earlier in the day. Step after step had me convulsing in an extreme coughing fit and my upward progress slowed to a snail¿s pace," he wrote.

"After wrestling with the problem for 20 minutes, we agreed that my condition would only worsen as we went higher and the only sensible option was to descend to base camp."

High altitude
However, the expedition's high altitude development team did succeed in achieving their initial goals.

They trekked 240km (149 miles) with a total vertical ascent of nearly 10,000 metres (32,808 ft) - higher than Everest. They also successfully and safely navigated their intended route and climbed their chosen mountains. More importantly they developed the skills required for future Himalayan expeditions.

Video reportage
The junior team also succeeded in achieving all of their pre-expedition goals. They trekked through the foothills of the Himalaya and successfully climbed Mera Peak at 6,476 metres (21,247 ft).

The expedition's video and web log reportage was made possible by Inmarsat partner NSSL, a global provider of satellite services and equipment, which provided the teams with four BGAN terminals.

The Makalu 2008 expedition involves about 40 people selected from the UK's army, navy and air force, and comprises two Makalu ascent teams, one high-altitude acclimatisation group and a "junior" trekking contingent.
The expedition also raised funds for SOS Children's Villages, an international charity that provides family environments, schools and communities for orphaned and abandoned children.

India's ever-expanding maritime market is set to benefit from broadband ship-to-shore communications, following the launch of Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband solution in Mumbai recently.

In a ceremony hosted aboard Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess, Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband solutions manager, Manoj Mohindra, provided a 50-strong audience with a live demonstration.

The event was organised by Inmarsat distribution partner Stratos and its representative in India, Station Satcom.

The launch was attended by shipowners and ship managers, as well as representatives from the Indian Navy and Coastguard.

Seamless integration
Gerbrand Schalkwijk, vice-president for Asia Pacific, said FleetBroadband would improve crew and customer satisfaction, as well as enable money to be saved on fuel and operations costs by granting ship operators greater access to weather and routing updates.

"FleetBroadband will achieve two important goals of each maritime executive: firstly, it seamlessly integrates vessels with their head office IT network; and secondly, it enables broadband business solutions, such as remote-IT and cargo-management, to be used onboard."

Today International Satellite Services, Inc. announced that we have an agreement in place to become a global distributor for the new Iridium OpenPortSM service. ISS' goal is to build our maritime business in the Americas region and beyond and we believe the new Iridium OpenPortSM service will help us do that. Service is expected to be commercially available September 2008.

About Iridium OpenPort. With an always-on, standard Ethernet connection and three voice lines that can be used simultaneously, Iridium OpenPort will deliver reliable, cost-effective data & voice communications for shipping and fishing fleets around the globe. Service will be available in packages bundling data usage and voice minutes into one low monthly fee. Large-volume voice and data packages will also be offered at progressive per-unit discounts. Packages will be available for speeds of 9.6 kbps, 32 kbps, 64 kbps and 128 kbps.

The ISS Proposition. International Satellite Services will combine the Iridium OpenPort service with the already existing portfolio of software solutions, providing one of the most comprehensive communications solutions available to the maritime community. ISS will offer solutions available to meet all the varying needs of the maritime community, including the shipping, fishing, workboat, research and crew calling sectors. Advance orders for Iridium OpenPort terminals are being taken now by ISS to ensure that customers will receive one of the first Iridium OpenPort terminals available on the market.

For more information, please visit us on the web at www.issi-us.net or call 1.888-511.3403

Two intrepid young explorers have reached Sydney, Australia, after a year-long man-powered trek across the world to raise awareness about climate change.

Young Britons Rob Gauntlett, aged 20, and James Hooper, aged 21, sailed into Sydney Harbour on 9 May on board the yacht Blizzard after reaching their final objective in raging seas - the magnetic South Pole.

The pair set off in April 2007 from the North Pole on a journey that took them from the Arctic to the Antarctic via the Americas.

On 24 April they reached the ever-shifting magnetic South Pole - currently at around 63 degrees S and 138 degrees E, just off the Antarctic's Adelie Coast.

Walking, cycling and sailing 22,000 km (13,500 miles), Rob and James kept in touch with the world using an HNS 9201, an Inmarsat BGAN terminal loaned by our partner BT. Airtime was sponsored jointly by BT and Inmarsat.

During their travels they highlighted mankind's destructive impact on the environment, while travelling - for the most part - using only man-powered means.

Dangerous moments
Along the way they experienced some harrowing moments, as well as plenty of stunning scenery and good old-fashioned human kindness.

On one occasion, Rob fell through the ice into freezing waters as they crossed the Arctic. But, fortunately, James quickly pulled him out and used the BGAN terminal to call a rescue helicopter to rush him to hospital.

And hours before reaching magnetic South, a raging storm up-turned their boat, causing havoc inside the cabin

This terrifying incident helped prove the resilience of the ruggedised BGAN equipment and laptop PC, which remained watertight and undamaged below deck.

Environmentalists
Weeks earlier, in warmer climes, their BGAN helped them relay video blogs from El Salvador in Central America, where they highlighted how deforestation has made the soil vulnerable to erosion, exacerbating the impact of extreme weather and natural disasters.

After reaching Patagonia in Argentina at the southern-most tip of South America, Rob also took time to explain - via video blog - just how useful BGAN has been during their journey.

"It really helps to have satellite gear that allows us to always be in contact in a really modern way," he said.

"Basically it provides us with broadband speed internet [so we can] set up the terminal and download all our emails and stay in touch."

They sailed into Sydney harbour on a boat manned by three professional mariners.

During the expedition they have also been raising funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and The Prince's Trust.

Inmarsat has been named best satellite operator in the annual Telecom Asia Awards, which recognise outstanding performance in the industry.

Organised by the leading telecoms publication and online news service, Telecom Asia, the awards are the longest-running and most prestigious telecoms industry accolades in Asia.

Inmarsat was chosen for the award by an independent judging panel, which considered nominees' performance in the financial, market, technology and corporate governance spheres, backed by research carried out by global IT and telecom consultancy firm Ovum.

Impressed
Robert Clark, head of the judging panel, said: "Inmarsat impressed the judges with its sharply-focused business model of delivering IP and mobile satellite broadband to key verticals.

"It is reaping the benefits of that approach with stronger growth and profitability in its recent financial results."

Inmarsat's director of satellite and network operations, Richard Denny, collected the award on behalf of the company during a ceremony in Phuket, Thailand.

The first contingent of a BGAN-equipped British armed forces expedition has begun the ascent of Makalu in the Himalaya.

Members of the main team, drawn from the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and British Army have started posting daily blogs and pictures on the Makalu 2008 expedition website, using one of four Thrane & Thrane BGAN terminals loaned by Inmarsat partner NSSL.

All members of this main team reached an interim base camp at the south-east ridge on 7 April - 4,100 metres (13,451 feet) above sea level - beneath the world's fifth highest mountain.

A few days later they moved to another base camp climbing a further 1,000 metres (3,281 feet). From there they started their ascent to the summit of Makalu at 8,463 metres (27,770 feet) from the north-east.

Torrential rain
Spectacular pictures and powerful accounts of their exhausting journey to the mountain have been posted online via Inmarsat for the world to read.

While ascending the Shipton La peak, Lieutenant Angela Laycock wrote: "The last two days have been pretty emotional ones. We started yesterday in our shorts and T-shirts enjoying an English summer's day with a few clouds looming. After just a few hours it became a typical Welsh day with torrential rain.

"After lunch it felt as if we had been transported into a Scottish winter and by this point most of us were fully Gortex'd up!"

The expedition is raising funds for SOS Children's Villages, an international charity that provides family environments, schools and communities for orphaned and abandoned children.

FleetBroadband scooped a prestigious award for innovation at the Lloyd's List London Awards for 2008

The cutting-edge voice and high-speed data service came in for praise from the judges as fresh evidence of Inmarsat's unwavering support for the maritime community.

The judges recognised Inmarsat's "continuing commitment" to serving the maritime industry "from its original remit in safety and distress communications to the current range of voice and data services" .

Inmarsat's head of maritime business, Piers Cunningham, received the award in front of 450 guests during a ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London.

Independent Panel
Piers said: "It's a great honour to receive the innovation award for FleetBroadband from such an esteemed body.

"The category was judged by a completely independent panel of maritime experts. It's very rare to have no idea whether you've won an award before it's announced but this was kept under wraps until the night, which is why the awards are so highly respected."

Inmarsat has agreed a location in Manhattan, New York City, for its new North American 'meet-me point'.

As previously reported in Connect E-News, the high tech-facility will be a convenient and cost-effective nexus where Partners and their customers can connect to the BGAN network.

BGAN traffic from the satellite access station at Burum, the Netherlands, will be routed across the Atlantic to TelX Inc, a carrier co-location facility based at 60 Hudson Street in Manhattan.

"This new meet-me point will ensure a 'level playing field' for our North America Distribution Partners," says Graeme Gordon, Inmarsat's land mobile product manager.

"They will be able to connect to the BGAN network via high-speed Ethernet or T1 cables just as easily and securely as our Europe-based Partners."

TelX Inc is an internationally recognized operator of telecom network interconnection facilities. The company says that more than 250 networks physically converge within its Hudson Street facility.

DPs will be able to establish their own points of presence (PoPs) at Hudson Street, or route their BGAN traffic to PoPs elsewhere.

Large-scale BGAN users, such as broadcasters, will also have the option of linking direct to the meet-me point, althoug