Eutelsat hit a milestone for its OneWeb refresh plan as Airbus Defence and Space completed the first 32 satellites in the refresh for launch. The satellites are set to be shipped for launch on a SpaceX mission; Eutelsat did not specify a timeframe.
Eutelsat ordered these satellites in late 2024 as part of a 100-satellite extension. The operator has recently ordered more refresh satellites — ordering a total of 669 new OneWeb satellites for service continuity.
These mark the first OneWeb satellites built in Toulouse, France. Airbus shifted manufacturing from the former joint venture Airbus OneWeb Satellites in Florida to France.
The delivery is “a symbol of our industrial relocalization as well as the confirmation of our high volume, high cadence satellite delivery capability and credibility,” Alain Fauré, head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space commented in a release.
Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher commented that this delivery demonstrates Europe’s “ability to build and sustain a global LEO capability.”
The OneWeb constellation was initially completed in 2023, and the last OneWeb launch was an additional 20 satellites launched in October 2024.
