Arianespace successfully launches 36 satellites from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on behalf of OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company. Arianespace has deployed 218 satellites in low Earth orbit for the constellation.
This was the fourth in a five-launch programme to fulfil the ‘Five to 50’ service, enabling OneWeb to offer connectivity across the United Kingdom, Alaska, Northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic Seas and Canada. The completed programme will deliver 80 percent of the constellation required to enable its connectivity solution to reach all regions north of 50 degrees latitude by June 2021.
OneWeb said it is on track to start its commercial service by the end of the year.
This was the first batch of satellites manufactured by OneWeb Satellites at its new factory in Space Coast, Florida.