SPACE JUNK POLLUTING DARK SKIES
Indian rocket launches final 36 satellites for OneWeb's broadband constellation

Mike Wall
Sat, March 25, 2023

An Indian LVM3 rocket launches the final 36 satellites for OneWeb's first-generation broadband constellation from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on March 25, 2023.

India's most powerful rocket launched the final 36 satellites for OneWeb's first-generation internet constellation on Saturday night (March 25).

A Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) rocket lifted off from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre Saturday at 11:30 p.m. EDT (0330 GMT and 9 a.m. India Standard Time on March 26), carrying 36 OneWeb broadband satellites toward low Earth orbit (LEO).

About 90 minutes later, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that all 36 spacecraft had been deployed successfully into the intended orbit, a circular path about 280 miles (450 kilometers) above Earth. The satellites will raise their own orbits over the coming days and weeks, finally settling in at an altitude of about 745 miles (1,200 km).

Related: Facts and information about ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation

Saturday's launch was a huge one for OneWeb. It was the 18th and final mission devoted to building out OneWeb's first-generation broadband constellation in LEO, which before Saturday consisted of 582 satellites.

"This launch will be one of the most significant milestones in OneWeb's history so far, with the launch adding an additional 36 satellites to the OneWeb fleet, the first-ever completed global LEO constellation," OneWeb representatives said in a prelaunch statement.

"By completing the constellation, OneWeb is taking a pivotal step forward in delivering global coverage," they added.

Related stories:

— India's most powerful rocket launches 36 OneWeb internet satellites to orbit

— SpaceX launches 40 OneWeb internet satellites, lands rocket (video)

— Russian invasion of Ukraine: How it's affecting Europe's space plans

Most of the 17 previous OneWeb launches were conducted by Russian-built Soyuz rockets operated by the French company Arianespace. But Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sundered that partnership, impelling OneWeb to find new rocket rides for its satellites.

The London-based company soon did just that, inking deals with both SpaceX and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO's commercial branch. SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets launched three missions for OneWeb, which is interesting, given that Elon Musk's company is building its own broadband constellation in LEO, called Starlink.

Saturday's liftoff was the second under the NSIL contract. The first, in October 2022, was also flown by an LVM3, which is also known as the GSLV MK III. ("GSLV" stands for "Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle.")

The 143-foot-tall (43.5 meters) LVM3 is India's brawniest rocket. It's capable of delivering 17,600 pounds (8,000 kilograms) of payload to LEO, according to its ISRO specifications page.

The 36 OneWeb satellites that went up Saturday weigh a total of 12,798 pounds (5,805 kg), ISRO wrote in a mission description, which you can find here.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:20 a.m. ET on March 26 with news of successful launch and satellite deployment.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or on Facebook.

OneWeb launch completes space internet project

Jonathan Amos - BBC Science Correspondent
Sun, March 26, 2023 


London-based company OneWeb has launched the final set of satellites it needs to deliver a broadband internet connection anywhere on Earth.

The 36 spacecraft went up on an Indian LVM3 rocket from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.

Their deployment 450km above the planet takes OneWeb's total in-orbit constellation to 618.

It's less than three years ago that the UK government took the decision to buy OneWeb out of bankruptcy.

At the time, it was seen as controversial; arguments raged about whether it was a sound use of taxpayer money.

But since the purchase, OneWeb has managed to attract significant additional investment, and is even now planning a next generation of satellites.

"This is the most significant milestone in the history of OneWeb, as we reach the satellites needed for global coverage. Over several years we have remained focused on our commitment to deliver a network that will provide connectivity for our customers and communities that need it most," said OneWeb CEO, Neil Masterson.

It will take some months for the Sunday's batch of satellites to be tested and to get into the right part of the sky (at an altitude of 1,200km), but when they are in position OneWeb will have the facility to deliver a global communications service.

Only one other organisation in the world is flying more satellites in space today - and that's OneWeb's chief competitor: the Starlink system operated by Elon Musk.

Unlike the US entrepreneur's network, OneWeb is not selling broadband connections direct to the individual user. Its clients, principally, are the telecoms companies that provide this internet service. They might also be employing the connectivity to supplement, or expand, the infrastructure in their mobile phone networks.

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Each satellite weighs about 150kg. The next generation will be bigger and more powerful

The OneWeb system will require the necessary ground infrastructure to command and control all the satellites and link them to the internet, but this too should be fully up and running come the end of 2023.

The satellite enterprise has been a decade in gestation. Projected as a $6bn project, it ran into money woes in early 2020 and sought the protection of US bankruptcy laws until a buyer could be found. At the time, it had lofted just 74 satellites.

The company was restored to operations thanks to a joint purchase from the UK government and the Indian conglomerate Bharti Global, who put in half a billion dollars each.

With its debts wiped out, OneWeb then moved quickly to build out the network and secure wider investment. It's currently working through a merger plan with Paris-based Eutelsat, best known for distributing thousands of TV channels around the world.

UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan, said: "The completion of the low-Earth orbit constellation is hugely significant both for OneWeb and the UK's wider sector.

"We invested in OneWeb's vision to bridge the global digital divide, and our burgeoning space sector is transforming the UK into the perfect base for likeminded companies to realise their stratospheric potential."

The system will fly 49 satellites in 12 planes - with spares ready to jump in

OneWeb has made the UK a major space player.

The number of satellites in the constellation has demanded a big commitment from the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, which is Britain's licensing agency for space activity.

All ground infrastructure should be in place come the year's end

"We undertake a significant oversight role, to make sure that their satellites are all healthy, and they they're operating within the limits that OneWeb have set out and that we agreed to," explained Colin Macleod, the authority's head of space regulation.

"Our team has regular meetings at OneWeb's White City headquarters. All their engineers sit in a room where they present what they're doing, and if they have any risks or issues - they will talk us through the solutions so that our engineers will be comfortable with their actions," he told BBC News.

Safety is paramount. The region in the sky where OneWeb spacecraft are moving - from 450km in altitude up to 1,200km - is becoming ever more congested, and the CAA wants assurance that the constellation is being flown in a responsible manner.

Much of the operation necessarily has to be automated, and the command and control software has had to scale rapidly over the past three years.

Flat antennas electronically steer to connect with the satellites in the sky

Sunday's launch took the number of satellites in space from 582 to 618.

In May, another 15 will go up to act as in-orbit spares. These will be joined by a demonstration spacecraft that will trial future technologies.

OneWeb plans to expand its network in the coming years to include bigger, more powerful spacecraft. But contrary to earlier suggestions, the constellation will probably now be kept under 1,000 individual satellites.

The next generation will, though, provide ancillary services, such as signals that allow users to fix their position on the surface of the Earth or know the precise time (a service akin to those currently provided by satellite-navigation systems like GPS and Galileo).

OneWeb is intent on merging its operations with Paris-based Eutelsat

The core business will remain connectivity.

OneWeb has a series of flat-panel antennas coming on to the market for its customers very soon.

In contrast to traditional steerable dishes, these units electronically track satellites across the sky to maintain the data links.

One of these antennas, produced by Kymeta, was trialled recently on Mount Snowdon in Wales to provide mountain rescue teams with stable broadband communications where previously there was no network availability.

 

Starlink Rival OneWeb Poised for Global Coverage After Weekend Launch

Passant Rabie
Fri, March 24, 2023 

India launched 36 OneWeb satellites in October 2022.

British satellite company OneWeb is gearing up for the launch of its final batch of internet satellites, completing a constellation in low Earth orbit despite some hiccups along the way.

India’s heaviest launch vehicle LVM-3 will carry 36 OneWeb satellites, with liftoff slated for Sunday at 11:30 p.m. ET, according to OneWeb. The launch will take place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, marking OneWeb’s second deployment from India. You can watch the launch at the livestream below.

Launch of LVM3-M3/OneWeb India-2 Mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota

After having to cancel its launches aboard Russia’s Soyuz rocket, OneWeb turned to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to launch its satellites using India’s heaviest rocket. In October 2022, the 143-foot-tall (43.5 meter) rocket launched with its first commercial payload, the first batch of 36 OneWeb satellites, on board.

OneWeb has been building an internet constellation in low Earth orbit since 2020, and it currently consists of 579 functioning satellites, according to statistics kept by Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell. The addition of 36 new units will raise the population of the constellation to 615, completing the first orbital shell. The company had originally planned on building a 648-unit constellation, but it says this final launch will cap it off and allow for global coverage.

The company ran into some difficulties last year when it was forced to halt the launch of its satellites after terminating its contract with Russia’s space agency Roscosmos.

After relying on Russia’s Soyuz rocket to launch its satellites, OneWeb’s relationship with Roscosmos quickly deteriorated following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In retaliation against the Western sanctions imposed against Russia, Roscosmos refused to launch OneWeb’s satellites unless the company agreed to a list of demands. OneWeb declined, prompting Russia to keep OneWeb’s 36 satellites at a storage facility in Baiknour, Kazakhstan.

The company was left scrambling to find alternative rides for its satellites. As a result, OneWeb signed contracts with its internet constellation rival SpaceX, as well as ISRO, for the six remaining launches required for its first generation satellites.

Sunday’s launch will complete OneWeb’s constellation, enabling it to initiate global coverage this year, according to the company. Hopefully the company will be able to recover from last year’s setback, and move on from those 36 satellites still being held hostage by Russia.

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