Eutelsat OneWeb: Constellation - General Thread

[zubenelgenubi]

There is a launch thread for this mission:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=50417.0

Moderator:
This means you, Rondaz.
Some posts moved, others deleted.

[Rondaz]

Meanwhile, here is the orbital height vs time for the previous 3 OneWeb launches. 8 satellite remain in phasing orbit; they continue to make orbit maintenance burns so they aren't dead.

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1340008466212110337

[Rondaz]

Updated OneWeb plot with the first orbit data for Launch 4 added

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1340082928970293249

[Rondaz]

Launch of 36 OneWeb satellites from Vostochny was controlled by RKS

Specialists of the Russian Space Systems Holding (RCS, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) at the facilities of the ground-based automatic control complex for scientific and socio-economic spacecraft carried out information support for the launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome of the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with an upper stage "Frigate" and 36 British spacecraft OneWeb, which took place on December 18, 2020 at 15:26 Moscow time. The complex of instruments for measuring, collecting and processing information (KSISO) of the Vostochny cosmodrome, created by the RCS holding, collected and processed telemetric information about the state of the launch vehicle and the upper stage throughout the flight.

To ensure the launch, the Information Analysis Center, located in the DCS, and the KSISO technical means located along the flight path of the launch vehicle, including mobile land and sea-based measuring points, were involved.

RCS Holding completed commissioning and debugging of all systems and equipment of the Vostochny Command and Measurement Center (VKIP) at the Vostochny cosmodrome in 2017. For the first time, the Eastern Command and Measurement Center demonstrated its capabilities on June 17, 2015, during a communication session with the International Space Station and on April 28, 2016, during the information support of the first launch of the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle. Today, the Vostochny cosmodrome complex of measuring instruments, collection and processing of information successfully provides all launches from the new Russian cosmodrome. The creation of VKIP allowed Russia to provide flight and docking with the International Space Station of spacecraft according to a new "shortened" two-turn scheme.

The construction of the VKIP was carried out from 2012 to 2016. It is one of the most modern command and measurement points of the Russian Ground Automated Control System for spacecraft and solves the tasks of spacecraft control, receiving information from Earth remote sensing satellites and providing information support for launching carrier rockets from the cosmodrome. It is the most compact of them; it requires fewer resources to operate, and its capabilities are higher than that of other Russian command and measurement points.

VKIP allows you to control spacecraft of the domestic orbital group, the Russian segment of the International Space Station, manned transport and cargo ships, as well as receive telemetric information from them. A regional center for Earth remote sensing is constantly operating at VKIP.

https://www.roscosmos.ru/29716/

[su27k]

Airbus plans to build thousands of broadband satellites in the UK in boost to British factories after Brexit

* Space firm OneWeb bailed out by Government aims to move production to UK
* The first generation of the satellites are being made in the US by Airbus
* Airbus is a small shareholder in OneWeb

A venture to create a constellation of satellites to boost superfast global broadband is considering plans to bring its manufacturing across the Atlantic to Britain.

Sources said executives behind the British Government-backed OneWeb last week briefed civil servants on the merits of moving production of the fleet of thousands of satellites from Florida to the UK.

Such a satellites program could bring another welcome boost to UK manufacturing after Brexit.

[Rondaz]

OneWeb status: some of the launch 2/3 sats that had remained at 600 km have completed their plane drift and begun orbit raising. The launch 4 sats remain in their insertion orbit

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1344018126791454720

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/megaconstellati/status/1349370410039701504

.@OneWeb submits amendment with @FCC for its filing from May 2020, trims its Phase 2 constellation from 47,844 sats to 6,372. Phase 1 (716 sats) remains unchanged, so total will now be 7,088🛰️.
📄Legal Narrative: licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/downloa…
📄Filing Overview: licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe…

[eeergo]

.@OneWeb submits amendment with @FCC for its filing from May 2020, trims its Phase 2 constellation from 47,844 sats to 6,372. Phase 1 (716 sats) remains unchanged, so total will now be 7,088🛰️.
📄Legal Narrative: licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/downloa…
📄Filing Overview: licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe…

What this means in terms of visibility:

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1349942395744497665

Still far too much (and dominating), but a far cry from the previous intentions.

I reiterate my request for the "Impacts of Megaconstellations in Astronomy" thread to be reinstated after the move to tidy up in moderation (3 months ago). There are many new developments in this regard that are being unnecessarily interleaved in general threads -such as the Starlink one, which was also locked recently- for lack of a proper location.

Regarding funding, still a long road ahead, which doesn't help with OneWeb's viability:

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1350008748794851329

[Rondaz]

We are pleased to announce today that we have secured additional funding from @SoftBank and
HughesConnects,  bringing OneWeb's total funding to $1.4 billion.

https://twitter.com/OneWeb/status/1350049280397074432

[GWR64]

https://twitter.com/megaconstellati/status/1349370410039701504

.@OneWeb submits amendment with @FCC for its filing from May 2020, trims its Phase 2 constellation from 47,844 sats to 6,372. Phase 1 (716 sats) remains unchanged, so total will now be 7,088🛰️.
📄Legal Narrative: licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/downloa…
📄Filing Overview: licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe…

The 588 satellites from phase 1 with 87.9 ° inclination will launched on the Arianespace Soyuz.
OneWeb still has to book launches for the 128 satellites with 55° inclination.
Are there any indications of who this launch provider could be?

[jongoff]

https://twitter.com/megaconstellati/status/1349370410039701504

.@OneWeb submits amendment with @FCC for its filing from May 2020, trims its Phase 2 constellation from 47,844 sats to 6,372. Phase 1 (716 sats) remains unchanged, so total will now be 7,088🛰️.
📄Legal Narrative: licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/downloa…
📄Filing Overview: licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe…

The 588 satellites from phase 1 with 87.9 ° inclination will launched on the Arianespace Soyuz.
OneWeb still has to book launches for the 128 satellites with 55° inclination.
Are there any indications of who this launch provider could be?

Hmm... Interesting question That would be just under four Soyuz launches worth, if they stuck with Soyuz. I think they should be able to hit that inclination -- it's a tiny bit higher inclination than ISS orbit. Though I don't know if OneWeb would use this as an opportunity to try out another launch provider.

~Jon

[Rondaz]

Bharti CEO Mittal says with $2.5bn required post bankruptcy @OneWeb will be the cheapest constellation ever. Interference from shareholders contributed to bankruptcy. He personally works on market access in 30 nations limiting sat services, 11 already done..

https://twitter.com/Megaconstellati/status/1351608926127714305

[high road]

Any guess on what he thinks Starlink costs to deploy?

[Nomadd]

 Post bankruptcy? Is that $2.5bn for the initial 716 sats? How much was spent pre bankruptcy?

[Robotbeat]

Post bankruptcy? Is that $2.5bn for the initial 716 sats? How much was spent pre bankruptcy?

Yeah, if we’re going to count only post bankruptcy, then Iridium, Orbcomm, and Globalstar gotta beat it because they went bankrupt AFTER each whole constellation launched... that’s basically 3 free constellations right there heh

[Robotbeat]

Post-bankruptcy OneWeb should launch on Falcon 9. It’s the most reliable rocket family now (or if you want to quibble, in terms of consecutive successful launches it’s statistically tied with Ariane 5 and Atlas V... just higher than Atlas V and just lower than Ariane 5) and the cheapest per kg by far.

[Jon Salat]

https://twitter.com/megaconstellati/status/1349370410039701504

.@OneWeb submits amendment with @FCC for its filing from May 2020, trims its Phase 2 constellation from 47,844 sats to 6,372. Phase 1 (716 sats) remains unchanged, so total will now be 7,088🛰️.
📄Legal Narrative: licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/downloa…
📄Filing Overview: licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe…

The 588 satellites from phase 1 with 87.9 ° inclination will launched on the Arianespace Soyuz.
OneWeb still has to book launches for the 128 satellites with 55° inclination.
Are there any indications of who this launch provider could be?

From the interview linked above;

We have had tremendous support from the Department of Space and ISRO. The ISRO chairman and us were connected on day one, even before we acquired this. We were talking to them about the low-cost manufacture of user terminals and even in the first constellation of satellites, we are hoping to have the PSLV take some of our satellites into orbit. So, a lot of conversations is going on.

Post bankruptcy? Is that $2.5bn for the initial 716 sats? How much was spent pre bankruptcy?

from the same interview;

I sold my stake to SoftBank, and SoftBank then bankrolled it for another $2 billion, totaling an investment of $3.3 billion before it went into bankruptcy.

Post-bankruptcy OneWeb should launch on Falcon 9. It’s the most reliable rocket family now (or if you want to quibble, in terms of consecutive successful launches it’s statistically tied with Ariane 5 and Atlas V... just higher than Atlas V and just lower than Ariane 5) and the cheapest per kg by far.

Maybe gen 2?

Elon Musk has the charisma and magnetism. What he has done is something we should all salute. In a matter of a few years, he is manufacturing his satellites, putting them in orbit. He is becoming a strong part of NASA and sending people to space. You have to give him credit. I would like to work very closely with him. But, of course, we will compete very hard in the marketplace.

There's a lot of interesting stuff in that interview, well worth a read.

[Jon Salat]

Post bankruptcy? Is that $2.5bn for the initial 716 sats? How much was spent pre bankruptcy?

Yeah, if we’re going to count only post bankruptcy, then Iridium, Orbcomm, and Globalstar gotta beat it because they went bankrupt AFTER each whole constellation launched... that’s basically 3 free constellations right there heh

Here's the context;

LEO constellations can cost anywhere from $5.5 billion to $7 billion. If such a start-up was presented to me now, I would not take it. But there was a large amount of money already spent. So, with $2.5 billion we are proposing to spend, this will be the cheapest constellation anybody has ever had. As new shareholders, we get the benefits of the past investment, this makes economic sense.

[Rondaz]

Update on OneWeb orbit raising

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1352313074640965634

[Rondaz]

.@OneWebSatellit1's new CEO says: "Then we came into the time of Covid and Chapter 11. [...] Very roughly, we were building one satellite every month… As soon as we came out of Chapter 11, we are now ramping up again to the position of two [@OneWeb] satellites per day."

https://twitter.com/Megaconstellati/status/1354390592890019845