Bhubaneswar: OneWeb, the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, today announced
the arrival of 36 satellites at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC- SHAR) in advance of a planned
launch from Sriharikota, India. With this launch, OneWeb will have over 70% of its planned Gen 1 LEO
constellation in orbit as it progresses to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity services around
the world.
OneWeb has partnered with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the national space
agency of India – Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), to facilitate this launch. The launch will be
the company’s 14 th overall and the satellites will be put into orbit by the heaviest ISRO rocket, the GSLV
MkIII, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. One additional launch will take place this year and three
more are targeted for early next year to complete the constellation.
With a vision to deliver transformative connectivity around the world, the upcoming launch will be a
pivotal moment for OneWeb, demonstrating tremendous momentum and progress towards delivering
global coverage next year. OneWeb resumes its launch programme with leading partners in the Satcom
industry and the company’s services are already available in Alaska, Canada, UK, and the Arctic region.
India’s Bharti Enterprises, a major investor and shareholder in OneWeb, this year announced a
distribution partnership with Hughes Communications India Private Ltd. (HCIPL). OneWeb will connect
towns, villages, and local and regional municipalities in the hardest-to-reach areas, thus playing a
critical role in bridging the digital divide across India.
Neil Masterson, OneWeb CEO, commented: “OneWeb’s dedication to industry collaboration has
allowed us to successfully navigate the ever changing global environment and prepare for yet another
milestone launch. We are proud of our ability to adapt and remain on track to deliver global
connectivity in the hardest to reach places. With many thanks to our top-of-the line partners ISRO and
NSIL, as well as our shareholder Bharti Global for their continued stewardship, we were able to facilitate
this upcoming pioneering launch in Sriharikota India.”
Radhakrishnan D, Chairman-cum- Managing Director, New Space India Limited, commented:
“Undertaking the launch of 36 OneWeb satellites on-board GSLV-MkIII from India is a historic moment
for NSIL and ISRO. We are excited to see the arrival of the satellites and the Ground Support Equipment
in
India in preparation for the launch. Teams at NSIL/ ISRO are sincerely working towards providing the
best of the Launch Service solutions and support for OneWeb satellites, and we wish their teams great
success in their forthcoming activities at SDSC-SHAR and launch.”
