A new batch of the OneWeb satellites is getting ready for the launch at the Vostochny Spaceport
MOSCOW, April 6. - The preparation of the 36 OneWeb spacecraft for the launch aboard the Soyuz-2.1 b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage began on Tuesday at the Vostochny Spaceport; the launch is scheduled for the end of April.
On Monday the OneWeb satellites arrived at Ignatievo airport (Blagoveshchensk) by an An-124-100 aircraft on Monday and the specialists of the Vostochny Space Center (a branch of TsENKI, part of Roscosmos) transported all of them to the Spaceport.
European launch services provider Arianespace provides and operates the launch of the OneWeb spacecraft using the Soyuz launch vehicle, under the contracts with Glavkosmos (a subsidiary of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos) and the Russian-French company Starsem, in close cooperation with other Roscosmos enterprises: Progress Space Rocket Center, Lavochkin Association, and TsENKI.
Today the OneWeb low Earth orbit fleet of satellites has 146 spacecraft, and hundreds of others are to be launched. The upcoming launch should bring the number of OneWeb spacecraft in orbit to 182.
OneWeb low Earth orbit spacecraft are designed to provide consumers on the ground with high-speed Internet directly through satellite communications.
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Glavkosmos, JSC is a subsidiary of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos. The main task of the company is to promote the achievements of the Russian rocket and space industry to world markets and manage complex international projects. During its thirty-five year history, the company has successfully fulfilled over 140 international contracts, including the launch of more than 150 spacecraft as a secondary payload.
ROSCOSMOS is a State Corporation established in August 2015 to carry out a comprehensive reform of the Russian rocket and space industry. ROSCOSMOS ensures the implementation of the state policy in space activities and its normative and legal regulations, as well as places orders for the design, production and supply of space equipment and space infrastructure. Its functions also include the development of international space cooperation, as well as the establishing of environment for application of space domain achievements for the social and economic development in Russia.