This time it’s an Airbus
In place of large Antonov or Boeing freighters. Inmarsat’s second I-6 class satellite is about to take off for orbit. Unlike the first, it will be transported to its launch pad by a particularly bulbous Airbus aircraft. A US airline that has relied on Boeing units so far also seems to be interested.
Before the 5.5 t Inmarsat-6 F1 communications satellite could begin its journey into low-Earth orbit on 22 December 2021 it had to be transported by airfreight from Toulouse in southern France to the Japanese spaceport of Kitakyushu.
At the time (see ITJ Daily of 7 December 2021) the transport was handled by Bolloré Logistics, together with its partner Volga-Dnepr Airlines (until February 2022). The Russian heavylift specialist deployed one of its Antonov AN-124s – which are now no longer available for project undertakings of this kind, for reasons that are amply known.
The Beluga takes to the skies
The British company, whose satellites undergo final assembly in Toulouse, has found a replacement on its doorstep to launch its twin, the I-6 F2, scheduled to take off from Florida on 9 February. An Airbus A300-600ST, better known as the Beluga, will be used to transport the satellite across the Atlantic in several stages.
This is only the second space cargo contract for the European whale since Airbus began offering its capacity commercially. The Beluga first transported Eutelsat’s Hotbird to Cape Canaveral last October (see ITJ Daily of 19 October 2022).
Because it has similar characteristics to the AN-124 it can also accommodate the voluminous and valuable cargo that is almost the size of a London double-decker bus when folded. The consignment has a wingspan of 47 m when unpacked – comparable to that of a Boeing B767.
The AN-124 and B747-400F’s competitors
National Airlines also wants to take advantage of these characteristics. The US airline, whose cargo division is increasing its fleet by two to eight Boeing B747-400Fs in February, is particularly interested in the nose-loading system that its six ‘Jumbos’ lack. This is a feature that makes he Beluga suitable for bulky project cargo, such as pipes or helicopters.
At the last Tiaca Air Cargo Forum Alan White, National Air Cargo’s chief growth officer, revealed that his corporation is in talks with Airbus for a long-term cooperation agreement.