MOD launches new Skynet satellite
The extra lines of communication will benefit personnel deployed in Afghanistan and other parts of the world, including the Falklands, Cyprus and on ships at sea. MOD pictures show the moment that Skynet 5D was launched from French Guiana, South America. It is the fourth satellite of the Skynet 5 project to be put into space since 2007 under a £4bn Private Finance Initiative ( PFI ) programme with Astrium , who built the satellite and service providers Astrium Services .