Inmarsat has signed up to research project to investigate how to build a platform to support autonomous vessels that can also be controlled from the ground manually when needed . Autonomous ships are increasingly catching the imagination of shipping companies looking for economies. If successful , an autonomous ship could remove the crew from long voyages , reducing operating costs and increasing the cargo capacity of the ship . It last month launched its third Global Link satellite , which will provide high speed satellite connection to cover ' blackspots ' around the world 's seas , meaning drone ships could be in constant contact with human operators in real time .
Inmarsat has signed up to research project to investigate how to build a platform to support autonomous vessels that can also be controlled from the ground manually when needed . If successful , an autonomous ship could remove the crew from long voyages , reducing operating costs and increasing the cargo capacity of the ship . It last month launched its third Global Link satellite , which will provide high speed satellite connection to cover ' blackspots ' around the world 's seas , meaning drone ships could be in constant contact with human operators in real time .