https://spacenews.com/oneweb-plans-april-launch-break-to-tweak-satellite-design/QuoteSteckel said the number of satellites launched per Soyuz mission is determined by the location of the launch site. Soyuz launches from French Guiana or Kazakhstan will carry 34 satellites, while launches from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s far east will carry 36 satellites, he said. Arianespace’s Ariane 6 flight, now targeted for sometime between October and December, will carry 30 OneWeb spacecraft. Steckel said OneWeb still hasn’t decided if it will build 900 first-generation satellites, as planned in 2016, or if it will halt at 648 before starting a second generation.
Steckel said the number of satellites launched per Soyuz mission is determined by the location of the launch site. Soyuz launches from French Guiana or Kazakhstan will carry 34 satellites, while launches from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s far east will carry 36 satellites, he said. Arianespace’s Ariane 6 flight, now targeted for sometime between October and December, will carry 30 OneWeb spacecraft. Steckel said OneWeb still hasn’t decided if it will build 900 first-generation satellites, as planned in 2016, or if it will halt at 648 before starting a second generation.
Arianespace CEO announcing mission success! Nine upcoming OneWeb launches for this year.Six Soyuz launches from Baikonur and Vostochny.Two Soyuz launches from Kourou.One Ariane 62 launch from Kourou.
OneWeb Satellites CEO. Into batch two for satellite production.
Steckel said he believes OneWeb’s business plan differs significantly enough from SpaceX that both can coexist. “They are focused on broadband to the home; we’re focused on connecting people all over the place and on coverage,” he said. “I think there is an opportunity for both companies to be successful.”
SpaceX’s Matt Botwin, the company’s director of global satellite government affairs, wrote in a letter to ACMA outlining just how all-encompassing Starlink’s market would be.“Offer satellite-based broadband and communications services for residential, commercial, institutional, governmental, and professional users throughout Australia,” Botwin wrote.
Cross-post:Quote from: Salo on 02/06/2020 09:16 pmhttps://spacenews.com/oneweb-plans-april-launch-break-to-tweak-satellite-design/QuoteSteckel said the number of satellites launched per Soyuz mission is determined by the location of the launch site. Soyuz launches from French Guiana or Kazakhstan will carry 34 satellites, while launches from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s far east will carry 36 satellites, he said. Arianespace’s Ariane 6 flight, now targeted for sometime between October and December, will carry 30 OneWeb spacecraft. Steckel said OneWeb still hasn’t decided if it will build 900 first-generation satellites, as planned in 2016, or if it will halt at 648 before starting a second generation.
Any chance of Starlink-like trains of satellites in the sky? What is their deployment orbit?
The first two OneWeb’s spacecraft deployed about an hour and 10 minutes after liftoff. The rest deployed in groups of four about once every 20 minutes, with Soyuz’ Fregat upper-stage engine conducting brief firings in between each deployment.
Soyuz, using a dispenser from Ruag Space, released the satellites at 450 kilometers, from which they will use onboard electric propulsion to climb to their 1,200-kilometer operational orbit.
I found this quote from the article interesting:QuoteSteckel said he believes OneWeb’s business plan differs significantly enough from SpaceX that both can coexist. “They are focused on broadband to the home; we’re focused on connecting people all over the place and on coverage,” he said. “I think there is an opportunity for both companies to be successful.”The idea that Starlink will be focused only on broadband to the home doesn't fit with what we've been hearing for years from SpaceX.
For @OneWebSatellit1 Florida plant, pressure is still set at maximum following launch of 34 satellites. Double and triple shifts, 6 days a week to make launch schedule. @OneWeb bit.ly/37k1j3o
Besides your point, I am confused how exactly they intend to "connect people all over the place" if they aren't giving broadband to the home. Homeowners are people, and home is a place. Vague statements like that make it seem questionable if they have a real plan.The mention of "coverage" as if SpaceX isn't planning on global coverage is particularly disingenuous. SpaceX will have global coverage too, they just planned their constellation such that they will have more capacity and earlier coverage over significantly populated regions, rather than having initial service only available in the arctic and Antarctica like One Web plans.
The mention of "coverage" as if SpaceX isn't planning on global coverage is particularly disingenuous. SpaceX will have global coverage too, they just planned their constellation such that they will have more capacity and earlier coverage over significantly populated regions, rather than having initial service only available in the arctic and Antarctica like One Web plans.
Really? My understanding is that SpaceX is not focusing on coverage and won't really be covering far northern latitudes any time soon. That is probably what One Web is referring to when they talk about focusing on coverage. OneWeb prioritizing a out of home niche (like aviation and naval) and Starlink prioritizing in home fixed service explains their different constellation architectures. If Starlink wanted global coverage, they wouldn't have all their satellites at 53 degrees. If OneWeb wanted more capacity over more homes, they wouldn't be in near polar orbits.
Quote from: ncb1397 on 02/11/2020 09:29 pmReally? My understanding is that SpaceX is not focusing on coverage and won't really be covering far northern latitudes any time soon. That is probably what One Web is referring to when they talk about focusing on coverage. OneWeb prioritizing a out of home niche (like aviation and naval) and Starlink prioritizing in home fixed service explains their different constellation architectures. If Starlink wanted global coverage, they wouldn't have all their satellites at 53 degrees. If OneWeb wanted more capacity over more homes, they wouldn't be in near polar orbits.SpaceX won't have all of their satellites at 53 degrees. Their initial 550 km shell is, but they will be just about done with that by the end of this year. By late 2021, when One Web plans to have full coverage (the relevant definition for "anytime soon") SpaceX will have had plenty of chance to launch some of the ~1200 satellites they plan for 70-81 degree inclinations. If One Web really was focused on coverage, it seems strange that they don't seem to actually provide much coverage overlap at the equator. Full coverage of the poles should be possible with a somewhat smaller inclination while reaching full global coverage sooner (this based on the simulations I have seen provided by OneWeb, I haven't sat down to work it all out in detail.)
