Roskosmos begins start of hundreds of satellites for OneWeb

On December 16, 2019 the first batch of the OneWeb satellites arrived to Baikonur by airplane An-124-100. At the spaceport preparation of spacecrafts for start will be performed.

It is said in the statement of JSC Glavkosmos ("daughter" Roskosmos) who is responsible for execution of works on starts of the OneWeb satellites using the carrier rocket "Union-2.1b" with the Fregat-M upper stage.

The first batch of the OneWeb satellites arrived to Baikonur by airplane An-124-100

Start of the OneWeb satellites should take place on January 30, 2020. Starts are planned from the spaceports Baikonur, East and from the Guiana space center. At first start-up was planned for December, however it was decided to be transferred because of additional tests of satellites.

It is totally going to launch 672 satellites, their commercial use will begin in 2020. The low-orbit OneWeb spacecrafts are intended for providing Earth with the high-speed Internet directly through satellite communication. By 2021 OneWeb intends to provide the round-the-clock covering of Earth. Orbital grouping will consist of 18 planes on 36 spacecrafts in everyone. As the former Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications Nikolai Nikiforov reported, each 3-4 weeks one rocket with the 34th satellites onboard will fly up.

Earlier in 2019 on the website of state procurements there were documents of the Center of operation of land objects of space (TsENKI) in which it is reported that Russia will conduct not less than six missiles launches with satellites of OneWeb company in 2019-2020. Start of three rockets is going to be carried out from Vostochny Cosmodrome, and three more — from Baikonur. 52.5 million rubles, and a launching table East — 80.177 million rubles are selected for insurance of starts.

Glavkosmosa reminded that the first six OneWeb satellites were launched from Guiana Space Centre on a rocket "Union ST" on February 28, 2019.^[1]

Notes