OneWeb has successfully launched 34 of their constellation satellites via Arianespace from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
This latest, successful launch brings OneWeb’s total on-orbit constellation to 322 satellites, nearly half of the company’s entire 648 LEO satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity.
The successful launch builds on the strategic distribution partnerships and agreements across a wide array of providers and businesses, including several earlier this month, including with AT&T, Hughes Network Systems and Peraton. These agreements, along with others struck earlier with partners including Alaska Communications, BT, and Northwestel, are aimed at bringing improved digital communication services to some of the hardest to reach parts of the world.
Liftoff occurred on September 14 at 7:07 p.m., BST. OneWeb’s satellites separated from the rocket and were dispensed in nine batches after 3 hours 45 minutes into the flight, with signal acquisition on all 34 satellites confirmed. With this launch, Arianespace also celebrates passing the mark of 1,000 satellites successfully launched to space.
OneWeb remains on track to start service this year at the 50th parallel and above with its constellation and to deliver global service in 2022. The company continues to see growing demand from telecommunications providers, ISPs, and governments worldwide to offer its low-latency, high-speed connectivity services to the hardest to reach places. OneWeb has raised $2.7 billion since November 2020, with no debt issuance.
Neil Masterson, OneWeb CEO, said, “The team continues to stay focused on execution and delivering our network. I am enormously grateful to the team and all our partners who are making these milestones possible. We continue to see a huge and growing demand for our services from global customers, and we are incredibly excited about both introducing commercial service and scaling our global network.”