Commercial Satellite Control Center Construction Underway in the UK
Work has started on Inmarsat’s new eight-floor headquarters, which will host what the company says will be the world's largest commercial satellite control center. The Satellite, Network and Cyber Operations Center will feature advanced workspaces for employees – alongside games areas, a gym, a relaxation area, and a rooftop bar.
"While we have had long-term plans in place to upgrade our headquarters, we have adapted our designs to include faster technology and empower our employees to work collaboratively, flexibly and efficiently.”
Inmarsat CEO Rajeev Suri.
The company has been developing plans for the commercial satellite control center since 2019, with the lease at its current headquarters on Old Street Roundabout finishing next year. 50 Finsbury Square will vastly upgrade its facilities and provide ultra-modern infrastructure for Inmarsat’s technical teams, including satellite and network operations, analysts and engineers.
The 121,000 square foot office is designed to match the orbits of the solar system, with open plan meeting and workspaces revolving around a central collaboration hub. The atrium will host several hanging staircases linking floors with a new presentation hall.
Inmarsat will first move its operation centers into the commercial satellite control center for rigorous testing this fall before the new headquarters opens in early 2024.
Commercial Satellite Control Center will support a Growing Fleet of Spacecraft
Earlier this month, the company confirmed the successful launch of its latest I-6 F2 satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida. I-6 F2 and its ‘twin’ I-6 F1 - which launched from Japan in late 2021 - are the most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built. The new satellites will support ORCHESTRA, the company’s network of the future, which will provide increased capacity and faster speeds to power global mobility.
Inmarsat also plans to add five more advanced spacecraft to its fleet by 2025 as part of its fully funded technology roadmap.
"As we have all experienced, the world of work has evolved since the pandemic," said Inmarsat CEO Rajeev Suri. "While we have had long-term plans in place to upgrade our headquarters, we have adapted our designs to include faster technology and empower our employees to work collaboratively, flexibly and efficiently.”
“As we announced in 2021, Inmarsat’s combination with Viasat will create a new leader in global communications," Suri said. "With this move, we look forward to providing for customers into the 2030s and beyond by creating a new international headquarters for the combined company. Together, we are in a strong position to continue leading the UK’s burgeoning space sector."
(Source: Inmarsat news release. Images provided and from file)