OneWeb, a satellite broadband service provider, in a comical fashion, announced its partnership with competitor Elon Musk’s SpaceX. OneWeb will take the help of SpaceX to launch 40 satellites. On Twitter, OneWeb has posted a video following SpaceX, signifying a partnership. In a release, OneWeb said that the launch with SpaceX would not take place any earlier than December 6, 2022. While the company hasn’t given a specific date for the launch, the details suggest that the launch could take place as early as December 6. With this launch, OneWeb would almost complete 80% of its planned fleet, which is 648 satellites. The company completed its previous launch in India in October 2022.
What Will be Special About this Launch?
The launch will take place from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This will be the first time that OneWeb would be launching satellites from Florida, where OneWeb Satellites - a joint venture between Airbus and OneWeb, manufactures satellites for the company. With this launch, OneWeb would be able to expand services in regions such as Europe, the USA and much of Asia and the Middle East. OneWeb said, “The expansion of the OneWeb fleet will also enable coverage between the South Pole and the 35th parallel south, opening up connectivity services in Southern Australia, South Africa, and parts of South America.”
