Satellite company OneWeb celebrated the successful launch of 36 satellites on 23 October. The UK Government bought a 50% stake in the company in 2020, but due to political disputes with Russia, its launch schedule had been suspended.
The company was created to produce an initial constellation of 648 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver high-speed internet around the world. The most recent launch was the 14th in the schedule and brought the total number of satellites up to 462, or 70% of the requirement. OneWeb stated that completion is expected in the middle of next year.
The satellites were launched by News Space India and the India Space Research Organisation with an LVM3 rocket, constituting the vehicle’s first commercial launch. It is a 43m-tall, three-stage, medium-lift rocket capable of lifting 10,000kg to LEO or 4,000kg to a geosynchronous orbit.
Previously Russia’s Soyuz vehicle was contracted to execute the launches, but sanctions related to the war in Ukraine led to the suspension of much of the countries’ cooperation in space.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, executive chairman of OneWeb said, “Today’s launch is a significant milestone for OneWeb. This new phase of our launch programme from India brings us a step closer to not only enhancing our global coverage but also delivering connectivity in India and South Asia, particularly to the communities who need it most.
“Today my dream of having an Indian element in the OneWeb constellation has been realized. This launch with ISRO and NSIL opens up the space sector in India with the possibility of billions of dollars flowing into the country.”
Neil Masterson, chief executive of OneWeb added, “I am delighted that we have been able to resume OneWeb’s launch programme. This launch was made possible thanks to the hard work by our team and our partners at ISRO and NSIL, as well as shareholder Bharti Global. The spirit of collaboration exemplified by this international effort is at the core of our strategy to scale up our global coverage network. At OneWeb, we remain laser-focused on removing barriers to connectivity, ensuring that we deliver for communities and customers globally.”
The $1 billion purchase of OneWeb was made in 50/50 partnership between the UK Government and Bharti Enterprises, an Indian conglomerate.
