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Counting the February launch, OneWeb plans to conduct a total of 17 or 18 Soyuz launches and one Ariane 6 launch with Arianespace to orbit 588 satellites before the end of next year.
Arianespace is launching the majority of OneWeb’s first-generation constellation using Soyuz rockets from Europe’s Guiana Space Center and Russia’s Baikonur and Vostochny Cosmodromes.
After those launches, OneWeb will pause before deciding a schedule for launching 60 spares to complete the 648-satellite first-generation constellation.
OneWeb experienced a larger-than-expected learning curve transitioning from building the first 10 satellites at an Airbus factory in France to producing two satellites per day at the Florida factory.
The number of OneWeb satellites launched per Soyuz mission depends on the launch site: launches from French Guiana or Kazakhstan carry 34 satellites while launches from Vostochny Cosmodrome carry 36 satellites.
The FCC approved two gateway ground stations for OneWeb in 2019 and is reviewing three additional gateway ground station applications for OneWeb.
OneWeb first applied for Ku- and Ka-band satellite frequencies with the FCC in April 2016, triggering 11 additional applications that included SpaceX, SES, and Kepler Communications.
Eric Graham, OneWeb’s head of regulatory affairs for North America, met with FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly and other FCC staff on 2020-01-22 and 2020-01-23 to discuss the licensing issue.
OneWeb filed a letter with the FCC on 2020-01-24 that was posted on the commission’s website on 2020-01-27 stating it will need to arrange more launches to continue expanding its constellation after 2021.
If approved, OneWeb’s application for 1,260 additional satellites would allow OneWeb to provide internet access in the United States with a total of 1,980 satellites.
OneWeb has secured rides to orbit for roughly 720 satellites with Arianespace on 20 Soyuz rockets and the inaugural flight of the Ariane 6 planned for late 2020.
Pacific Dataport, an Alaska-based company, is one of OneWeb’s first customers and expects to start offering OneWeb satellite internet in the fourth quarter of 2020.
OneWeb sought to modify its FCC application in March 2018 after the FCC relaxed its deadlines for satellite operators to keep their market access rights.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai responded to Senator Kaine on 2020-01-14 and indicated the FCC continues to work on OneWeb’s modification request and is considering how an increase in the number of satellites may impact licensees of the first processing round.
The next 34 OneWeb satellites are scheduled to launch on 2020-02-07.
Arianespace’s first Ariane 6 mission will launch 30 small broadband satellites for OneWeb during the fourth quarter of 2020.
OneWeb’s 2020 launch campaign to place 650 small broadband satellites in low Earth orbit begins with a launch planned for February 2020 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The Ariane 6 maiden flight will use the Ariane 62 configuration with two strap-on solid-rocket boosters and will carry 30 satellites for OneWeb.
OneWeb plans a 1,980-satellite constellation, Amazon is preparing a 3,236-satellite constellation, and Telesat is designing a roughly 300-satellite broadband network.
OneWeb’s planned megaconstellation satellites each weigh roughly 150 kg and the constellation was planned to include 650 satellites.