After Russia refused to launch OneWeb over the Ukraine crisis, the British satellite internet business is now looking to SpaceX to launch broadband satellites into orbit.
According to a recent Science Times story, Russia's space agency Roscosmos refused to launch OneWeb's satellites unless the firm agreed to a list of major requests.
This long-exposure image shows a trail of a group of SpaceX's Starlink satellites passing over Uruguay as seen from the countryside some 185 km north of Montevideo near Capilla del Sauce, Florida Department, on February 7, 2021.
SpaceX Signs Agreement With OneWeb To Launch Internet Satellites
On March 21, OneWeb stated that it had reached an agreement with SpaceX, a satellite internet rival, to launch its spacecraft into low Earth orbit (LEO).
The new partnership with SpaceX, according to Neil Masterson, would allow OneWeb to finish assembling its constellation of 648 satellites in orbit and beam internet on a new timeframe.
"We thank SpaceX for their support, which reflects our shared vision for the boundless potential of space," OneWeb CEO Neil Masterson said in a statement today.
"With these launch plans in place, we're on track to finish building out our full fleet of satellites and deliver robust, fast, secure connectivity around the globe."
OneWeb didn't have any imminent plans to launch the other 220 satellites into orbit. According to OneWeb, SpaceX appears to be answering the call. However, the actual details of the transaction are "secret."
OneWeb's chief of government, regulatory, and engagement, Chris McLaughlin, did not disclose to The Verge if the new deal covers all of the remaining satellite launches.
It's also unknown whether this would be a multi-launch mission or if SpaceX's Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy will be used.
OneWeb did not specify how many launches it bought from SpaceX, which rocket it would use, or when it expects to finish its satellite network.
The Falcon 9 is SpaceX's most active launch vehicle, costing around $62 million each flight.
Ruth Pritchard-Kelly, a senior consultant on regulatory issues for OneWeb, told The New York Times that the company is in talks with other launch providers in addition to SpaceX.
OneWeb is putting up a network of 648 broadband satellites. The specifics of the SpaceX deal were not disclosed.
Still, Masterson's comment indicated that SpaceX would likely send the remaining 220 satellites to LEO using its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.
OneWeb spokespeople announced in a statement today that the first launch with SpaceX is scheduled later this year.
Expected OneWeb Launch
The earliest SpaceX launch with OneWeb satellites, according to Pritchard-Kelly in the same NYTimes report, "would be this summer." However, Space.com said the first SpaceX launch is scheduled for later this year.
SpaceX is constructing its own broadband constellation in low-Earth orbit, dubbed Starlink, with over 2,000 satellites. If all goes according to plan, Starlink will grow even more. SpaceX has clearance to launch 12,000 Starlink satellites and has requested permission to launch up to 30,000 more.
OneWeb is in negotiations with Arianespace, the French rocket firm that arranged OneWeb's Soyuz launches, about recovering the satellites and perhaps receiving reimbursement for the canceled Soyuz flights, according to the business.
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