OneWeb satellite in production. Photo: AirbusAirbus Defence and Space has secured a major contract from
Eutelsat to manufacture a further 340 OneWeb low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Combined with the 100 satellites ordered in December 2024, this brings the total to 440 units, ensuring operational continuity for the OneWeb constellation.
The satellites will be produced at Airbus Defence and Space’s Toulouse facility on a newly installed production line, with deliveries scheduled to begin at the end of 2026. This development marks another significant step towards European sovereignty in space technology.
Eutelsat’s OneWeb network currently comprises more than 600 satellites operating in 12 synchronised orbital planes at an altitude of 1,200km, delivering high-speed, low-latency connectivity worldwide. The new satellites will progressively replace early batches approaching the end of their operational life, while incorporating technology upgrades such as advanced digital channelisers for enhanced onboard processing, improved efficiency, and greater flexibility. Their optimised architecture is designed to maximise long-term performance, and Eutelsat will also explore new business opportunities through hosted payload capabilities.
Alain Fauré, head of space systems at Airbus, said: “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.”
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 benefitting from the unparalleled performance of our ubiquitous, low latency LEO capacity, and enable us to pursue our growth path.”