The defense and space division of Airbus has delivered to the French company Eutelsat a first batch consisting of 32 next-generation OneWeb satellites for low Earth orbit (LEO), as communicated this Friday.
At this moment, the satellites are in the preparation phase for their transfer from the satellite constellation production facilities that Airbus has in Toulouse (France), before their upcoming launch scheduled in the United States (USA).
This initial shipment represents a "significant milestone" within Eutelsat's program aimed at modernizing and strengthening the OneWeb constellation.
Renewal of the constellation and continuity of service
The delivered satellites are the first batch of the future Eutelsat fleet, which will be made up of 669 next-generation OneWeb satellites. As these new units gradually replace those approaching the end of their useful life, they will ensure "uninterrupted service to customers, while enhancing the overall capabilities of the network."
In this way, the program will allow Eutelsat to maintain the provision of LEO connectivity "secure and resilient to businesses, governments, and institutions around the world."
Airbus has emphasized that "this milestone combines two European strengths: Eutelsat's experience in managing a global LEO network and Airbus's experience in manufacturing, following the recent relocation of its satellite production line back to Europe," highlighting that this advancement "demonstrates Europe's ability to build vital infrastructures that support services to customers worldwide."
The CEO of Eutelsat, Jean-François Fallacher, has pointed out that this is an "exciting moment for Eutelsat, as its first OneWeb satellites come off the production line and head for launch."
"For our customers, this demonstrates our commitment to continue providing them with the connectivity they rely on while we renew the network, and for Europe, it demonstrates our ability to develop and maintain global capacity in low Earth orbit (LEO)," he added.
For his part, the Director of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, Alain Fauré, has stressed that this milestone "holds double importance for Airbus, as it symbolizes its industrial relocation and confirms its ability to supply satellites in large volumes and at a high cadence."
"It strengthens our credibility when supporting our clients in the constellation market, increasingly crucial," he concluded.