As the space communications industry shows no signs of slowing down this year following on from a robust 2025, Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract by operator Eutelsat to build 340 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to ensure operational continuity of the OneWeb constellation.
OneWeb formed in 2012 with the aim of addressing the communication needs of hard-to-reach places, stating that its network has a unique capability to serve hard-to-reach communities and provide improved capacity, mobile resilience, backhaul and coverage, including Fixed Wireless Access, in challenging geographic locations.
However, the company’s evolution was a struggle and OneWeb filed for bankruptcy in the US in March 2020 after failing to find private investment. It was rescued by a $500m investment from both the UK government and Bharti Global, and returned to business in December 2020 with a 36-satellite payload, with an aim to implement a constellation of 650 LEO satellites with a network of global gateway stations and a range of user terminals. These were seen as a way to provide an affordable, fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency communications service, connected to internet of things (IoT) devices, and a pathway for mass adoption of 5G services.
In September 2021, OneWeb confirmed the completion of substantial investment by French satellite operator Eutelsat, as part of the latter’s strategy of looking for growth beyond traditional broadcast and broadband applications, with it becoming a shareholder partner. Less than a year later, Eutelsat entered into merger with OneWeb.
Flying in 12 synchronised orbital planes 1,200km above the Earth, OneWeb LEO satellite network currently delivers high-speed, low-latency connectivity on a global basis. Airbus believes that the availability of these latest satellites will assure full operational continuity for customers of the constellation, progressively replacing early batches coming to end of operational life.
Looking to achieve its objectives, Eutelsat procured a batch of 100 Airbus Space satellites in December 2024, taking the total number of satellites ordered by Eutelsat to 440. These new satellites will be manufactured at Airbus Defence and Space’s Toulouse facility on a newly installed production line, with delivery from the end of 2026. Airbus said this represents a further step for European sovereignty.
The new craft will integrate technology upgrades including advanced digital channelisers, enabling enhanced onboard processing capabilities as well as greater efficiency and flexibility, according to the company. Airbus added that it will incorporate optimised architecture designed to maximise long-term operational performance.
With these latest satellites, Eutelsat will also be evaluating opportunities for new business cases, notably through embarkation capabilities for hosted payloads.
Commenting on the new contract, Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher said: “We are pleased to rely on our long-standing partner, Airbus, for the procurement of these latest satellites. They ensure service continuity for the growing number of our customers and distribution partners benefiting from the unparalleled performance of our ubiquitous, low-latency LEO capacity, and enable us to pursue our growth path.”
Alain Fauré, head of space systems in Airbus, added: “This latest contract from Eutelsat is an endorsement of our design and manufacturing expertise for LEO satellites. Airbus has been a key partner and supplier to Eutelsat for more than 30 years and this award further cements our important relationship.”
