London-based satellite firm Inmarsat confirmed on March 14 that "routine, automated signals were registered on the Inmarsat network from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 during its flight from Kuala Lumpur."

 

The flight, which was destined for Beijing, vanished on Saturday, March 8. Investigators now say the disappearance may have been the result of deliberate human action — but the location of the lost plane remains a mystery.

 

The Boeing 777 took off at 12:41 a.m. local time that day. At 1:07 a.m., it sent a routine transmission via the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). That was the last signal received by the system, which was apparently disabled near the east coast of Malaysia. [Fact About Satellites and Their Uses]