Another batch of OneWeb satellites will go into orbit on April 26 on the Soyuz-2.1b rocket
It became known that the next 36 communication satellites OneWeb, will be sent into space using the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage on April 26 at 01:14 Moscow time. The launch will be carried out from the site of the Vostochny cosmodrome. The TASS news agency writes about this concerning the data of the press service of the French company Arianespace.
“ The next mission is scheduled from the Vostochny cosmodrome with the Soyuz spacecraft on 26 April. The planned launch time is 00:14 Paris time, ”the source cites the date of the press service of Arianespace. The company recalled that at the moment, there are 146 OneWeb communication satellites in the low-earth orbit of the Earth, and in the future, their number will continue to grow. As part of the next launch, the number of OneWeb grouping should increase to 182 devices.
Recall that the first six OneWeb communication satellites were launched into orbit using the Soyuz-ST launch vehicle, which was launched from the site of the Kuru cosmodrome on February 28, 2019. Then, on February 7 and March 21, 2020, 34 satellites were launched twice from the Baikonur cosmodrome. From the Vostochny cosmodrome, OneWeb satellites were first launched in December 2020. According to the updated agreement between OneWeb and French Arianespace, which acts as a space launch operator, 16 launches of Soyuz carrier rockets from the Kuru, Vostochny, and Baikonur cosmodromes are planned for the period from 2020 to 2022. Within each launch, 34 to 36 OneWeb satellites are planned to be deployed.
