MARECS was a version of the European Space Agency's ECS communications satellite, adapted for maritime communications. It was used by Inmarsat.

Inmarsat MARECS series
Country/ies of originUnited Kingdom (UK)
Operator(s)Inmarsat (MARECS-B licensed to Nuovo Telespazio)
TypeNavigation Satellite
StatusDecommissioned
CoverageGlobal
Constellation size
First launch20th December 1981
Last launch10th November 1984
Total launches3 (1 launch failure - MARECS-B)
Orbital characteristics
Orbital heightgeosynchronous orbit
Websitehttps://www.inmarsat.com/en/index.html

MARECS A was launched in 1981 and placed over the Atlantic Ocean. It was deactivated in August 1996.

MARECS B was lost due to launch problems in 1982, while MARECS B2 (also known as MARECS C) was launched in 1984 and placed over the Pacific Ocean. MARECS B2/C was active until 2002.[1][2]

They were among Europe's first telecommunications satellites.

References

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  1. ^ Tandberg, Erik; Hammerstrøm, Maria (2023-01-23), "Marecs", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), retrieved 2023-03-14
  2. ^ "Marecs". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
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