Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, has donated a bridge simulator - a system of hardware and screens which allows students to familiarize themselves with realistic weather, traffic, and ocean conditions - to Warsash Maritime School, part of Solent University in Southampton, United Kingdom.
The simulator, which was previously located at Inmarsat’s former headquarters on City Road, London, will allow students to rehearse their responses to distress situations in a realistic but safe and controlled environment. It is capable of displaying Global Maritime Distress and Safety System(GMDSS) operations, which Inmarsat Maritime provides for life saving emergency services across the world. The company no longer requires the simulator following its move to a new state of the art facility in London, earlier this year.
Tasked with navigating a ship out of a potentially life-threatening situation, students can learn not only how to operate a vessel in distress but how to take charge in a challenging, high-pressure scenario. This helps to ensure students are technically and mentally prepared for practical maritime situations.
Following the donation, the Inmarsat Maritime Safety Team is working with the International Maritime Organization(IMO) to include the simulator in the Global Integrated Shipping Information System(GISIS), which would make it the first UK-based GMDSS simulator registered with the GISIS.
In October 2023, the Inmarsat Maritime Safety Team won the International Maritime Rescue Federation Award for Innovation and Technology in Maritime Search and Rescue. The award acknowledged the team’s efforts to ensure – through technology, training, and expert support – that global satellite search-and-rescue capabilities are maintained to a level beyond what is expected by the IMO.