(ORDO NEWS) — The essence of the second space race revolves around the idea of promoting commercial interests in space.
In the 21st century, this means the development of digital infrastructure. After all, no modern business will get very far without a direct connection to the global marketplace.
OneWeb has found another way to send a new batch of satellites into space, without Russian Soyuz rockets.
To date, more than 420 OneWeb satellites have successfully entered orbit, all launched by Russian Soyuz rockets and operated by the French company Arianespace.
But after the start of the special operation, the Russian space agency Roskosmos demanded that OneWeb satellites not be used for military purposes.
OneWeb refused to impose any restrictions, so on March 4, 2022, Russia removed all 36 satellites that were supposed to be launched from its Soyuz rocket. But OneWeb has found another way to send satellites into space.
According to a press release from OneWeb on Monday, Elon Musk‘s SpaceX has reached an agreement with the company to launch this year.
This may seem odd given the competition between SpaceX and OneWeb. But it looks like the Starlink and OneWeb satellites will be launched into low Earth orbit by SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.
OneWeb satellite fleet to reach full deployment
“The first launch involving SpaceX is expected in 2022. The OneWeb total orbital group currently has 428 satellites,” OneWeb said in a press release.
“We thank SpaceX for their support, which reflects our shared vision for the limitless potential of space,” said Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb, in a press release.
“With these launch plans, we are on track to complete our full fleet of satellites and provide reliable, fast and secure communications around the world.”
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