OneWeb close to completing ‘Five to 50’ ambition with another 36 satellite launch

OneWeb today confirmed the next launch of another 36 satellites by Arianespace from the Vostochny Cosmodrome bringing the company closer to its ‘Five to 50’ ambition. The company aims to start commercial service by the end of the year. The latest launch has brought OneWeb’s total in-orbit constellation to 218 satellites forming part of OneWeb’s 648 LEO satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity.

OneWeb now needs only one launch to go until the company has the satellites required to enable its connectivity solution to reach all regions north of 50 degrees latitude by June 2021.

The satellites are built by OneWeb Satellites, a OneWeb and Airbus joint venture facility in Florida that can produce two satellites a day with an innovative production line process. The rapidly and reliably built first-generation fleet for completion of delivery of OneWeb into orbit by mid-2022 was because of the advanced manufacturing facility in Florida.

OneWeb plans to offer connectivity across the United Kingdom, Alaska, Northern Europe, Greenland, the Arctic Seas and Canada with the service 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, commented, “Today’s successful launch is another execution milestone that puts us one launch away from delivering high speed, low latency connectivity to Alaska, Canada, Greenland, UK, and Northern Europe. Today we celebrate and thank our Florida team for their hard work and dedication that has delivered more than 200 satellites to orbit. Collaboration and teamwork are vital for OneWeb’s mission to succeed. We are grateful to all our partners around the world who are joining us on our mission to deliver global connectivity, starting with everywhere 50 degrees north.”