Flight ST36, performed by Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on October 14, at 6:40pm local time (09:40am UTC), will put 36 of OneWeb’s satellites into a near-polar orbit at an altitude of 450 kilometers. The mission will have a total duration of 3 hours and 51 minutes and will include nine separations of four satellites each, which will raise themselves to their operational orbit.
This 61st launch of Soyuz operated by Arianespace, the 11th for OneWeb, will raise to 358 the number of satellites deployed for the global telecommunications operator. The constellation, once complete, will include 648 satellites. Thus, ST36 will be the launch taking OneWeb more than halfway to the finish line, with 358 of its satellites being on orbit.
OneWeb’s constellation will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity services to a wide range of customer sectors including aviation, maritime, backhaul services, as well as governments, emergency response services and more. Central to its purpose, OneWeb seeks to bring connectivity to every place where fibre cannot reach, and thereby bridge the digital divide.
Once deployed, the OneWeb constellation will enable user terminals that are capable of offering 3G, LTE, 5G and Wi-Fi coverage, providing high-speed access globally – by air, sea and land.
OneWeb Satellites, a joint venture between OneWeb and Airbus Defence and Space, is the constellation’s prime contractor. The satellites were built thanks to its leading-edge satellite manufacturing process that can build up to two satellites a day on a series production line dedicated to the assembly, integration, and testing of the satellites.