Eutelsat is to procure a further 229 OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites from Airbus Defence and Space to support replenishment and expansion of its constellation through 2034.
The company has signed an Authorisation to Proceed (ATP) covering initial industrial activities for the satellites, which will be added to an existing order for 440 spacecraft from Airbus.
The additional satellites represent an estimated investment of €1 billion and will bring Eutelsat’s total new OneWeb satellite procurement from Airbus to 669 units.
The satellites will feature digital channelisers for onboard processing, with capabilities to improve efficiency and flexibility, as well as the ability to carry hosted payloads.
Eutelsat expects the first satellites from the existing 440-unit order to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2026, with the additional spacecraft intended to maintain service continuity while providing additional capacity for existing and new customers.
“This is an exciting next step for OneWeb and for Eutelsat’s LEO strategy. With the first satellites from the 440 due for delivery and launch soon, our replenishment programme is moving forward,” said Jean-François Fallacher, Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat.
“The planned addition of 229 more satellites will further strengthen OneWeb, while IRIS² will bring significant new capacity and capabilities.”
