Airbus to Build 340 More OneWeb Satellites

Eutelsat OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite manufacture | Photo: Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract by Eutelsat to manufacture an additional 340 OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, the companies announced on January 12. The new order follows an earlier procurement of 100 satellites placed in December 2024, bringing the total number of satellites ordered by Eutelsat to 440. Under the December 2024 contract, the delivery of the first order of 100 satellites built at Airbus Defence and Space’s facility in Toulouse was targeted from the end of 2026 to ensure the operational continuity of the OneWeb constellation by progressively replacing earlier satellites approaching the end of their operational life.

Eutelsat’s OneWeb constellation currently consists of more than 600 satellites operating in 12 synchronised orbital planes at an altitude of around 1,200 kilometres. The network provides global broadband connectivity with low latency, supporting customers in a range of sectors worldwide.

The newly ordered satellites will include technology upgrades compared with earlier batches. These include advanced digital channelisers, which are designed to improve onboard processing, as well as architectural changes intended to support long-term operation. Eutelsat said the satellites will also allow the company to assess new business opportunities, including the potential use of hosted payloads.

“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,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus.

Eutelsat Chief Executive Officer 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 benefiting from the unparalleled performance of our ubiquitous, low latency LEO capacity, and enable us to pursue our growth path.”