August 12, 2021Flight ST34: Arianespace supports OneWeb’s ambitions by increasing its fleet of satellites to nearly 300 spacecraft- The next Arianespace mission is planned from Baikonur Cosmodrome with Soyuz on August 20 (local time), to deliver 34 satellites into orbit bringing the total OneWeb’s fleet to 288 satellites in Low Earth Orbit.– This 59th Soyuz mission conducted by Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate will be the first launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2021 and represents the ninth launch for OneWeb overall.Flight ST34, the first commercial mission performed by Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2021, after four successful launches from Vostochny earlier this year, will put 34 of OneWeb’s satellites into a near-polar orbit at an altitude of 450 kilometers. The mission will have a total duration of three hours and 45 minutes and will include a first separation of two satellites followed by eight separations of four satellites, which will raise themselves to their operational orbit. This ninth launch to the benefit of OneWeb will raise to 288 the number of satellites deployed for the global telecommunications operator.This launch represents a straight continuation of the ambition carried and achieved by the previous one. On July 1st, ST33 placed into orbit enough satellites to enable connectivity services to the 50th parallel and above by years end which includes Canada, U.K., Northern Europe, Alaska and Arctic regions. OneWeb’s launch campaign will continue thereafter as it works toward delivering global service in 2022.OneWeb’s constellation will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity services to a wide range of customer sectors including aviation, maritime, backhaul services, as well as governments, emergency response services and more. Central to its purpose, OneWeb seeks to bring connectivity to every place where fiber cannot reach, and thereby bridge the digital divide.Once deployed, the OneWeb constellation will enable user terminals that are capable of offering 3G, LTE, 5G and Wi-Fi coverage, providing high-speed access globally – by air, sea and land.OneWeb Satellites, a joint venture between OneWeb and Airbus Defence and Space, is the constellation’s prime contractor. The satellites were built thanks to its leading-edge satellite manufacturing process that can build up to two satellites a day on a series production line dedicated to the assembly, integration, and testing of the satellites.
Why launch only 34 OneWeb sats if there's room for two more?
