OneWeb has reportedly launched several models of their new satellites on Monday (December 27) into orbit. It was conducted with the help of the Arianespace Soyuz rocket. The flight is just one of the few steps that the internet service provider laid out under their greater plan to set a megaconstellation of satellites up above the planet's atmosphere.
36 New OneWeb Satellites Aboard Soyuz Rocket
NEWQUAY, ENGLAND - AUGUST 02 : A OneWeb satellite is diaplyed on the opening day of the Story of a Satellite summer exhibition at Spaceport Cornwall on Aug 2, 2021 in Newquay, England. Spaceport Cornwall is aiming to launch its first satellites in spring of 2022.
Soyuz, a launch rocket built by Russia, was able to lift a total of 36 satellites developed by OneWeb. The flight took place at 8:10 AM EST last Monday, right from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome. The flight's window almost intersected with the launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble successor which was launched by Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket last Christmas.
The James Webb space telescope was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, just two days before OneWeb deployed their new batch of satellites. The back-to-back flights this December marks the last missions of the Arianespace for the year 2021.
Arianespace expert and CEO Stephane Israel said it was "a special time of the year for a very special flight" in the webcast as he boasted OneWeb's satellite mission that allowed Arianespace to reach its 15th and final launch of the year, Space reported. The mission last Monday concludes the development and flights from the Arianespace team and will proceed once the first quarter of 2022 hits the calendar.
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Satellite MegaConstellations for Improvement of Internet and Communication Access
OneWeb's launch on December 27 was not the first that the communication enterprise conducted. Before the launch of Arianespace Soyuz, the internet service provider had over 390 satellites hovering in low orbit. The deployment of the new batch is expected to reach 450 kilometers of height from the planet's surface following an extensive 3 hours and 45 minutes of liftoff. The second and final orbit that the satellites will move to is more significant than the initial orbit, scaling to a whopping 1,000 kilometers from the planet.
OneWeb expert and CEO Neil Masterson said in a Via Satellite report that the demand for internet and communication connectivity caters not just an emotional desire but the essentiality that many populations need today. Masterson added that by implementing the OneWeb satellite missions, their company will have an opportunity to grab a role in ending the divide and limitations in digital access today.
Elon Musk's SpaceX is also working on the Starlink project, which aims to launch a separate megaconstellation of satellites in orbit. Since 2019, there were already 1,944 satellites that Starlink had launched on space. Before the initial phase is set for activation, the space firm will first fill the gap of 4,400 satellites they targetted. Amazon is also on the course of its own internet satellite development. The tech company will join the field of megaconstellations through their line called Kuiper. However, the private firm has not released any information about the launch date.
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