Launches

London, 20 May 2023 – OneWeb confirms the successful deployment of 16 satellites including next-generation JoeySat. Launch 19 brings the total OneWeb constellation to 634 satellites, increasing redundancy and resiliency as global coverage nears activation. The launch also included innovative JoeySat, a demonstration satellite previewing next-generation capabilities.

Liftoff occurred on 20 May at 6:16 PT (local) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. OneWeb’s satellites separated successfully from the vehicle and were dispensed in eight phases over a period of 1 hour and 26 minutes, and signal acquisition on all 16 satellites has been confirmed. The launch marked OneWeb’s fourth successful launch with SpaceX.

With 634 satellites now in orbit, OneWeb is on track to deliver global coverage this year and is already in the process of scaling services for customers around the world. With the addition of the satellites deployed from this launch, OneWeb will increase the resiliency and redundancy in the constellation as it expands services to its growing base of enterprise and government customers.

“Launch 19 not only reinforces the goal of persistent global coverage at the end of this year but also demonstrates OneWeb’s commitment to innovation with the launch of next-generation JoeySat,” states Kevin Steen, OneWeb Technologies Chief Executive Officer. “Our government customers rely on our ability to deliver secure, robust, and resilient global solutions for their complex needs, and the success of Launch 19 reinforces our commitment to delivering on those requirements.”

Neil Masterson, Chief Executive Officer of OneWeb, commented: “We are excited to see the successful completion of our 19th launch, which would not have been possible without our committed team and our enormously skilled launch partners. We have made tremendous progress in scaling our services, and today’s launch is a testament to our commitment to continue improving our service to our customers. Never ones to rest on our laurels, we also view this launch as proof positive of our drive to innovate, as we test new technologies that will usher in the future of our connectivity capabilities and services. We now look ahead to scaling our services as well as making important advancements in the future of connectivity.”

Launch #18: March 26, 2023, Satish Dhawan Space Center, Shriharikota – OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, today, announced the successful deployment of 36 satellites.

This being the 18th launch for OneWeb, ensures the completion of OneWeb’s first Internet constellation consisting of 618 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched the satellites using their launch vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) launch vehicle. This is the 2nd launch completed by ISRO, the first being in October 2022 when they launched 26 satellites. The launch vehicle is the same one used in October 2022.

OneWeb has used 18 launch vehicles to complete its mission.

13 Soyuz flights

3 SpaceX Falcon 9 flights

2 Indian Mark 3 (LVM-3) flights

OneWeb ground teams established communications with all 36 satellites, confirming they are alive and thriving, following the launch.

OneWeb is now over the 588-satellite threshold needed for global internet connectivity. The satellites will be placed in 12 rings of 49 satellites each, with every satellite completing a full trip around the Earth in 109 minutes. They are equipped with a Ku-band antenna, which operates between 12 and 18 GHz, allowing for each satellite to have 8 gigabits per second of throughput. The inherent benefit of Low Earth Orbit satellites is to provide the latency advantage of 30-100 milliseconds RTT vs MEO, 150 milliseconds RTT, and GEO, 650 milliseconds RTT.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Executive Chairman of OneWeb said: “In my work, I have seen the power of connectivity to bring benefits to all, wherever they are. Yet half the world’s population does not have access to fast, reliable connectivity. Today’s launch represents a major step towards closing the digital divide. OneWeb’s global constellation will play a pivotal role in realizing this dream.”

“With the recent launches of OneWeb satellites, we will have global, persistent coverage at the end of this year. We are currently preparing the ground infrastructure and access to user terminals for their last tactical mile connectivity. This provides our government customers robust and resilient choices to satisfy their government requirements,” stated OneWeb Technologies CEO Kevin Steen.

OneWeb, with its high-speed, low-latency solutions, collaborating with its partners, will help connect communities, enterprises, and governments worldwide, demonstrating the unparallel secure potential for LEO connectivity, initiating Global internet coverage in 2023.

Launch 17 is a success!

Cape Canaveral, Florida, 9 March, 2023 – OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, today confirmed the successful deployment and contact of 40 satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This launch is OneWeb’s seventeenth to date, and nearly finalizes the mission to complete OneWeb’s first-generation (GEN 1) LEO satellite constellation and enable global coverage in 2023. With 582 satellites now in orbit, OneWeb will complete its global footprint of the GEN 1 constellation with a launch scheduled for later this month.

OneWeb and its partners are relentlessly focused on the mission to bridge the digital divide and provide internet connectivity to a greater number of unconnected and underserved rural and remote communities and businesses.

Neil Masterson, Chief Executive Officer of OneWeb, commented: “Today’s launch is an exciting milestone as we are now just one mission away from completing our GEN 1 constellation, which will activate global service in 2023. Now more than ever, OneWeb is dedicated to continuing the momentum we have garnered from the past 17 successful launches, to innovate alongside our trusted partners and deliver connectivity solutions at scale. Each launch is a group effort, and today’s success would not have been possible without the dedication of the entire launch team and our partners here in Florida.”

OneWeb’s constellation is a satellite internet constellation with the goal of providing internet coverage to the entire globe. Each OneWeb satellite has a compact design and masses ~150 kg. They are equipped with a Ku-band antenna, which operates between 12 and 18 GHz, allowing for each satellite to have 8 gigabits per second of throughput. The satellites have two solar panels for power and are built by Airbus Defense and Space; the first 10 were built in Toulouse, France, and the remainder have been made in OneWeb’s US-based factory.

10 January 2023 – Launch#16 – Successful

Cape Canaveral, Florida, January 10, 2023 – OneWeb today confirmed the successful deployment of 40 satellites launched by SpaceX from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This launch is OneWeb’s 16th to-date, with only two more launches remaining to complete its first-generation constellation enabling global connectivity in 2023.

Lift-off took place on Sunday, 9 January 2023 at 11:50 p.m. ET (local). OneWeb’s satellites separated successfully from the rocket and were dispensed in three phases over a period of 1 hour and 35 minutes, with signal acquisition on all 40 satellites confirmed.

With 542 satellites now in orbit, OneWeb has more than 80% of its first-generation constellation launched. With this launch, OneWeb kicks-off its ‘Countdown to Global Connectivity’ campaign marking the final launches remaining to complete its first-generation LEO satellite constellation that will offer high-speed, low-latency connectivity solutions.

OneWeb has connectivity solutions active today with its distribution partners in Alaska, Canada, the UK, Greenland and wider Arctic area, with expanded services coming online soon across the U.S, southern Europe, Australia, Middle East and more. With each new area covered, OneWeb and its partners can provide internet connectivity to a greater number of unserved and underserved rural and remote communities and businesses.

08 December 2022 – Launch#15 – Success!

“As the U.S. Proxy for OneWeb, the success of this launch provides OneWeb Technologies Inc. (OWT) with the ability to expand services to our existing and future government customers.” said Kevin Steen, CEO of OWT. “This is an important step in the process to finalize the constellation which will enhance OWTs support to mission critical projects regardless of where the mission takes place.”

With 502 satellites in orbit, OneWeb has almost 80% of its first-generation constellation completed – with only three more launches now remaining to reach global coverage. Today’s launch is a significant milestone, as the company will be able to dramatically expand service and initiate connectivity solutions soon to areas including the US, southern Europe and North Africa, northern India, the Middle East, Japan, southern Australia, South Africa and parts of South America.

On Thursday, December 8 at 5:27 p.m. ET, SpaceX launched the OneWeb 1 mission to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX performed its first mission for OneWeb on Thursday, sending 40 satellites to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) on a Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 rocket took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Stage separation occurred 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the mission, and the satellites were deployed in a series of three deployments that took place 58 minutes, about 1 hour and 14 minutes, and 1 hour and 29 minutes into the mission.

23 October 2022 – OneWeb today confirmed the successful deployment of 36 satellites launched by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC- SHAR) in Sriharikota, India. This launch by ISRO and NSIL is one of the biggest commercial orders by India’s premier space organization, and the first using the LVM3 rocket.

The lift-off took place on Sunday, 23rd October 2022 at 00.07hrs local time. OneWeb’s satellites separated successfully from the rocket and were dispensed in nine phases over a period of 1 hour and 15 minutes, with signal acquisition on all 36 satellites confirmed.

This is OneWeb’s 14th launch. This launch represents more than 70% of its planned 648 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity worldwide. With only four more launches to go, OneWeb remains on track to activate global coverage in 2023, while its connectivity solutions are already live in regions north of 50-degrees latitude.

This demonstrates OneWeb’s commitment to provide connectivity across the length and breadth of India by 2023. OneWeb will bring secured solutions not only to enterprises but also to towns, villages, municipalities and schools, including the hardest-to-reach areas across the country. OneWeb’s commitment to enhance connectivity.

Neil Masterson, Chief Executive of OneWeb, commented: “I am delighted that we have been able to resume OneWeb’s launch program. 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.”

Over the coming months, OneWeb will continue its focus on the launch program and will also work with key distribution partners and customers to roll out connectivity solutions where its services are live. OneWeb will advance innovative strategic partnerships with leading companies in the communications sector, and sign agreements in the coming months to support the rollout of its coverage solutions.

Coverage

2022 Polar Coverage – The OneWeb constellation operates at 1,200km altitude in a polar orbit providing global ubiquitous satellite coverage when the Gen-1 network of 648 satellites is fully deployed by the end of CY 2023. The satellite constellation is served by a ground-based network of Satellite Network Portals (SNPs), each with a number of Satellite Access Points (SAPs) providing the downlinking of the User Terminal (UT)-Satellite-SAP/SNP connection. OneWeb provides Points of Presence (PoPs) that serve one or more SNP sites as the demarcation between the OneWeb network and the OWT GAN customer delivery network. The combination of OneWeb satellite constellation and SNPs and OWT GANs creates the service availability to a UT.

OneWeb’s constellation achieved FCC and ITU regulatory authorization in 2019 upon completion of the Bring Into Use (BIU) obligations of its NGSO Ku filings in Ku-band (User Terminal link) and Ka-band for gateway links, formally ratified by ITU member nations at the World Radio Conference (WRC) November 2019. OneWeb coordinates and deconflicts interference events with other NGSO operators respecting the ITU hierarchy. OneWeb, in June 2022, reached a spectrum coordination plan that enables both OneWeb Gen-1 and Gen-2 to coexist. OneWeb has negotiated market access rights in dozens of countries to date and is working with global regulators to ensure market access is available in conjunction with service availability.