Bharti group backed OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, today confirmed the launch of 36 satellites by Arianespace from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
OneWeb’s in-orbit constellation of 218 satellites will form part of OneWeb’s 648 LEO satellite fleet for offering high-speed connectivity.
The latest lift-off occurred on 28 May at 18:38 BST. OneWeb’s satellites separated from the rocket and were dispensed in nine batches over a period of 3 hours 52 minutes with signal acquisition on all 36 satellites confirmed.
This launch enables OneWeb to offer connectivity across the United Kingdom, Alaska, Northern Europe, Greenland, the Arctic Seas and Canada. This service is expected to be switched on before the end of the year and OneWeb intends to make global service available in 2022, Neil Masterson, OneWeb CEO, said.
OneWeb’s satellites are built by OneWeb Satellites, a OneWeb and Airbus joint venture facility on Merritt Island, Florida that can produce two satellites a day with an innovative production-line process.
