OneWeb, a London-based satellite company, has completed the final set of launches needed to provide broadband internet connection globally. The launch of 36 spacecraft from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh, India, takes OneWeb’s total number of satellites in orbit to 618. The UK government made a controversial decision less than three years ago to buy OneWeb out of bankruptcy for $1 billion, attracting significant additional investment and funding for the next generation of satellites. OneWeb is different from its chief competitor, Starlink, as it sells broadband connections to telecom companies and mobile phone network providers, not directly to individuals.
After the newly-launched satellites are tested and positioned at 1,200km, OneWeb can provide global communications service. The company has spent a decade on this project, initially projected to cost $6 billion. However, it faced financial difficulties in early 2020 and sought protection under US bankruptcy laws until the UK government and Indian conglomerate Bharti Global jointly purchased it. The project had just 74 satellites at the time.
OneWeb’s completion of the low-Earth orbit constellation is significant for the company and the UK’s wider sector, according to UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan. The UK government invested in OneWeb’s vision to bridge the global digital divide, making the country a significant player in the space industry. The number of satellites in OneWeb’s constellation requires a significant oversight role from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, which licenses space activities.
Safety is a top priority for OneWeb, as the region in the sky where its spacecraft are moving is becoming increasingly congested. The CAA requires assurance that the constellation is being flown responsibly and has regular meetings at OneWeb’s White City headquarters. The company’s engineers present what they’re doing and how they’re dealing with risks or issues. Much of the operation has to be automated, and the command and control software has had to scale rapidly over the past three years.
OneWeb plans to expand its network to include more significant, more powerful spacecraft in the coming years, but the number of individual satellites will probably be kept under 1,000. The next generation will provide ancillary services such as signals to fix users’ position on Earth or know the precise time. OneWeb has a series of flat-panel antennas that electronically track satellites across the sky to maintain data links, which will be available to customers soon.
In conclusion, OneWeb’s launch of the final set of satellites marks a significant milestone for the company and the UK’s space sector. It paves the way for the company to provide global communications services, which will benefit telecom companies and mobile phone network providers. Safety is paramount for OneWeb and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, given the congestion in the region in the sky where the company’s spacecraft are moving. OneWeb plans to expand its network in the coming years and offer ancillary services such as signals to fix users’ position on Earth or know the precise time.
