Inmarsat, one of the companies in the broad group working to locate the aircraft and explain what happened to it on its final flight, has published a paper in the Royal Institute of Navigation’s peer-reviewed journal, on The Search for MH370.

The paper explains how the company, in conjunction with the international investigation team, researched and analysed the satellite signals which contributed to a shifting of the search area from its original location to the area which is now the focus on attention.

Authors Chris Ashton, Alan Schuster-Bruce, Gary Colledge and Mark Dickinson lay out in clear language the way in which the analysis narrowed down the search area over a number of iterations, as the details of MH370’s final flight became clearer. Nick Randall, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Navigation explains that this paper is unique in Journal history. "This important paper on one element of the search for MH370 has been made freely available to all under Open Access

arrangements. The Royal Institute of Navigation and publishers Cambridge University Press normally charge for subscription to The Journal of Navigation, but we feel this paper and subject are too important, and that it should be shared with the world. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families at this difficult time, and with all those still engaged in the ongoing search for MH370."

The paper is available to download here (pdf 1.25Mb)