Bellwether and Inmarsat explore satellite communications to optimise intra-city transport
To revolutionise intra-city travel, Bellwether is bringing to market Volar, a UAM aircraft for personal and private mobility, designed to fly anyone at any time between any points in a city.
Volar’s user-centric design and city compatibility aims to redefine future lifestyles and reduce complications often associated with city transportation, helping make stress-free intra-city transportation a reality, sooner rather than later.
The industry-first collaboration between Inmarsat and Bellwether Industries will explore how satellite communications can optimise the future of intra-city transportation services, with a focus on safety, regulation and innovation. Inmarsat’s Velaris connectivity solution and the company’s existing expertise in aviation safety systems will enable Bellwether’s Volar to safely and seamlessly integrate with commercial airspace no matter where it flies, with accurate positional information reported back from onboard satellite navigation systems, and the ability to combine and harmonise this data for Uncrewed Traffic Management.
Additionally, Bellwether will gain access to regulatory and air traffic management expertise from Inmarsat and Velaris partners throughout the design and implementation process.
Kai-Tse Lin, Bellwether’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, said: “Inmarsat’s contribution is extremely important to the future development of Bellwether’s Onboard Vehicle Management System and airspace integration. It’s crucial that the operation of our Volar urban aircraft is a simplified and user-friendly experience, making commuting in a Volar easier than driving your car.”
Inmarsat’s Anthony Spouncer said: “Our partnership with Bellwether will be critical in the development of safe and efficient intra-city transportation services with passenger experience as their driving force. In collaboration with an urban air mobility platform manufacturer, Velaris will play a key role in making safety and efficiency industry-standard features for the intra-city transportation sector. Together we’re defining a new category of transportation that is passenger orientated by design, prioritising safety and regulation.”
Bellwether Industries is a human-centric UAM company founded in London in 2019. The mission is to provide the most compatible Urban Air Mobility (UAM) solution for intracity travels with a safe, efficient, and comfortable experience.
Starting with the invention of ‘Volar’, Bellwether’s core mission is to bring urban air mobility to people’s daily lives and minimise the influence on the environment including potential physical damage and noise, and to make the most efficient use of space and time. Volar is defined as a new category of private urban aircraft for intracity travel. It has a hidden propulsion system, environmental friendliness, a compact profile, and the ability to take off and land vertically. The team believes that people commuting in the sky is inevitable within the next 10 years. A volar will be capable to take anyone to fly anytime and anywhere to any point in cities.
The ultimate goal of Bellwether Industries is to build a brand new 3-dimensional lifestyle and to lead the world toward a more comprehensive urban mobility.
Inmarsat is the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications. It owns and operates the world’s most diverse global portfolio of mobile telecommunications satellite networks, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band, enabling unparalleled breadth and diversity in the solutions it provides. Inmarsat’s long-established global distribution network includes not only the world’s leading channel partners but also its own strong direct retail capabilities, enabling end to end customer service assurance.
The company has an unrivalled track record of operating the world’s most reliable global mobile satellite telecommunications networks, sustaining business and mission critical safety & operational applications for more than 40 years. It is also a major driving force behind technological innovation in mobile satellite communications, sustaining its leadership through a substantial investment and a powerful network of technology and manufacturing partners.
Inmarsat operates across a diversified portfolio of sectors with the financial resources to fund its business strategy and holds leading positions in the Maritime, Government, Aviation and Enterprise satcoms markets, operating consistently as a trusted, responsive and high-quality partner to its customers across the globe.
