OneWeb adding 34 satellites
September 14, 2021
By Chris Forrester
An Arianespace Soyuz-2.1b rocket is due to launch 34 additional OneWeb satellites today (September 14th).
Arianespace is working with Starsem on the launch (Flight ST35) which will happen from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The launch represents a major achievement for Arianespace in that it will mark 1000 satellites launched by the company since its formation 41 years ago. It also means that it takes the OneWeb fleet to 322 satellites.
The launch will take the satellites into a near-polar orbit at an altitude of 450 kms. Launch time is 2.07pm Washington, 6.07pm UTC, 8.07pm Paris-time and 11.07pm in Baikonur.
In 2021, OneWeb is focused on scaling the satellite constellation to launch commercial services starting at the end of 2021 to the UK, Alaska, Canada, Northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, and the Arctic Seas.