| Country/ies of origin | United Kingdom (UK) |
|---|---|
| Operator(s) | Inmarsat & ESA |
| Type | Communications Satellite |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| Constellation size | |
| First launch | 19 February 1976 |
| Last launch | 10 June 1976 |
| Total launches | 3 |
| Website | https://www.inmarsat.com/ |
Marisat satellites were the first mobile telecommunications satellites[1] and were designed to provide dependable telecommunications for commercial shipping and the U.S. Navy from stable geosynchronous orbital locations over the three major ocean regions. The three Marisat satellites, F1, F2, and F3, were built by Hughes Aircraft Corporation (HAC) for COMSAT Corporation starting in 1973. The satellites were designed to provide maritime telecommunications services in three large ocean areas, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean, and were located at 72.5° East longitude, 176.5° E, and 345° E in the geosynchronous orbital arc. The three-satellite Marisat system served as the initial INMARSAT constellation.
Ownership of the three Marisat satellites was transferred to Lockheed Martin when it bought COMSAT Corp in 2000. The Marisat-F2 satellite was acquired by Intelsat as part of the COMSAT General Corp. acquisition in October 2004.
The three satellites were all launched in 1976.[2] MARISAT F1 was launched on 19 February 1976,[3] MARISAT F2 was launched on 10 June 1976, and Marisat F3 was launched at 22:44 GMT, 14 October 1976. Launch vehicle for the satellites was the McDonnell Douglas 2914 Delta rocket. The satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under contract with COMSAT. In 1981 the Inmarsat took over from the Marisat system.[4]