Eutelsat has awarded Airbus Defence and Space a contract to manufacture an additional 340 OneWeb low Earth orbit LEO satellites, expanding its existing order from December 2024 of 100 satellites to a total of up to 440 satellites. Production will take place at Airbus's Toulouse facility on a newly installed production line, with deliveries scheduled from the end of 2026.
The satellites are part of Eutelsat's OneWeb LEO network, which provides high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity worldwide. The constellation currently comprises over 600 satellites across 12 synchronized orbital planes at an altitude of 1,200 km, bringing reliable internet access to even the most remote areas. The new satellites will replace aging units approaching the end of their operational life, ensuring continuity of service for customers.
In addition to maintaining service reliability, the latest batch of satellites will feature advanced technology upgrades, including digital channelizers for enhanced onboard processing, optimized architectures for long-term performance, and greater flexibility and efficiency. These improvements also enable the exploration of new business opportunities, such as hosted payloads, allowing third parties to deploy additional capabilities on the satellites.
