Arianespace readies 9th OneWeb mission
August 16, 2021
By Chris Forrester
Arianespace is readying its Flight ST34, which is itss shorthand for the upcoming launch of 34 extra OneWeb low Earth orbiting satellites.
ST34 will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on August 20th. The launch time will be 3.23am (Baikonur time). Once launched, the extra satellites will take the OneWeb constellation to 288 satellites, operating at 450 kms high in orbit.
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 year’s end which includes Canada, UK, Northern Europe, Alaska and Arctic regions. OneWeb’s launch campaign will continue thereafter as it works toward delivering global service in 2022.
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.