India readies 36 OneWeb satellites for launch
October 18, 2022
By Chris Forrester
A few minutes after midnight on October 23rd, India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is scheduled to use its massive GSLV-Mk3 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch vehicle) rocket to lift 36 OneWeb satellites into orbit.
ISRO has redesignated the flight as ‘LVM’ because the launch will take the satellites to low Earth orbit and not into a geosynchronous orbit.
The launch will happen from India’s Satish Dhawan spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.
The satellites arrived in India on September 20th and following integration and encapsulation onto the rocket the vehicle was rolled out to the launch pad on October 15th.
ISRO, and its commercial agency New Space India, has a second launch contract with OneWeb which will happen in 2023.
These 36 satellites scheduled for launch will be added to the existing 428 OneWeb satellites already in orbit.