(Update: Launched) SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch Inmarsat I-6 F2 mission from Florida today

Inmarsat's latest 6th gen communications satellite, I-6 F2, will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, 17 February 2023. The launch window opens at 10:59 p.m. ET and the event will be livestreamed from 10:00 pm EST / 3:00 am UTC.

I-6 F2 and its twin I-6 F1, which are almost as large as a London double-decker bus, will deliver a major upgrade in the capacity and capabilities of Inmarsat's two global communications networks for more than 15 years. I-6 F1, which was launched in late 2021, will connect its first customers later this year, with I-6 F2 set to follow in 2024.

According to Inmarsat's press release, the new satellites will power Inmarsat ORCHESTRA's capabilities for the future. ORCHESTRA enables Inmarsat's partners and customers to keep pace with their growing data demands and enables them to empower emerging technologies in the future, like autonomous vehicles or flying taxis. 

"This launch is only the start of the largest investment programme in our history, all contributing towards the development of our ORCHESTRA vision. The I-6 spacecraft will be joined by a further five major scale satellites by 2025. Each of these has the capability to deliver focused connectivity over a larger region and come with certainty – in resilience, in robustness, in service quality – that is unique to Inmarsat," Rajeev Suri, CEO, Inmarsat, said in a statement.

#I6F2 🛰️ @SpaceX launch is targeted for no earlier than 17 February 2023 at 22:59 EST/03:59 UTC! Catch all the live action as our double-decker-sized satellite lifts off onboard a flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket 🚀 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station: https://t.co/GToXDJVXYp pic.twitter.com/pw27Ydy1Fl

— Inmarsat (@InmarsatGlobal) February 14, 2023

Falcon 9's first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched Crew-5 and GPS III Space Vehicle 06. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Update

SpaceX's Falcon 9 has successfully launched Inmarsat's I-6 F2 mission to orbit.

Deployment of @InmarsatGlobal’s I-6 F2 confirmed pic.twitter.com/6BrbGHx5Dd

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 18, 2023