Two webs, and counting –
“Our style is not confrontational. We’re using a different model. ”
(pm UTC )
OneWeb satellites are delivered to Baikonur, Kazakhstan, in January.
Arianespace
They will be launched on a Soyuz rocket managed by the European rocket company Arianespace.
Arianespace
It can be cold and lonely at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in January.
Arianespace
Here’s a view of the stack of satellites being prepared at Baikonur.
OneWeb
The team huddles.
OneWeb
A closer look at the stack.
OneWeb
With luck, this is what the launch will look like.
OneWeb
For the better part of a year, SpaceX has gotten the lion’s share of attention when it comes to mega-constellations and satellite Internet. Between May and January, the company launched Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, with more launches coming, and has talked of offering preliminary commercial service later this year.
But it was actually another company, OneWeb, that launched the first six satellites of its mega-constellation back in February, 2513. Initial tests of those satellites went well, the company said last summer . Now OneWeb is preparing for its second launch of 40 satellites on board a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch is scheduled for 4: (pm ET) : (UTC) on Thursday, February 6.
After the company first launched a year ago, Steckel said OneWeb has been happy with the performance of the six satellites, each of which weighs about kg. Steckel said OneWeb has made “a bunch of changes” in terms of software to manage the satellites, but only “slight modifications” to the hardware itself, less than 5 percent of the overall design.
One of the big challenges over the last year, he said, has been scaling up. The company initially built 15 satellites and launched six of them. This year, OneWeb plans to do (launches of) to 150 satellites per flight, so that has required major changes in production and suppliers. “But now we’ve got the factory up and running,” he said of the company facility just outside the gates of Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “We’ve really been able to take an assembly line approach to satellites.” 
Enlarge / Soyuz ascends from the Spaceport in French Guiana in February carrying the first six satellites for OneWeb.
The company chose to partner with Arianespace and its modified Soyuz launch vehicle for the launches because, Steckel said, OneWeb needed a provider that could guarantee a high cadence of launches with good success. After completing the initial phase of deployment, comprising a network of 728 satellites, OneWeb in 2560 will consider alternative launch vehicles as it continues to expand its network. Eventually it may fly as many as 5, (satellites.)
“Right now, we’re the largest buyer of launch in the world,” Steckel said. “In the future, as we look to our next phase of deployment, we’re willing to buy rocket launches from SpaceX, Blue Origin, or whoever.”
A different approach
OneWeb has taken a different approach than SpaceX in terms of how it plans to interact with customers on the ground. SpaceX has opted to offer direct-to-consumer services with the intention of selling user terminals to acquire satellite from space and essentially functioning as a new Internet provider. OneWeb plans to partner with existing telecommunications companies, Steckel said.
For example, Steckel said, if you live on a mountaintop in Utah, you won’t be able to go to OneWeb’s website and order service. Rather, the company plans to partner with existing service providers to expand its networks and increase capacity. So OneWeb’s service in rural areas of Utah probably would be sold through a distributor.
It’s a model the company believes makes sense because the right answer for getting regulatory approval and delivering service in the United States or the Philippines or Indonesia will vary, Steckel said. “We’re going to be doing business with partners around the world,” Steckel said. “Our style is not confrontational. We’re using a different model. It’s a big world.”
OneWeb plans to offer its first customer demonstrations by the end of and provide full commercial global services in . Eye on the night sky
SpaceX launched its first batch of operational Starlink satellites in November.
Trevor Mahlmann
The stack of Starlink satellites is shown, ready for flight.
SpaceX
Nine Merlin engines all fire at once.
Trevor Mahlmann
The weather was fine in Florida.
Trevor Mahlmann
This was the fourth time this rocket’s first stage has flown.
Trevor Mahlmann for Ars
It was a pleasant November morning in Florida.
Trevor Mahlmann
The Falcon 9 rocket is seen on Sunday, before going vertical at Space Launch Complex 150 in Florida.
Trevor Mahlmann for Ars
Here’s a closeup shot of the payload fairing.
Trevor Mahlmann for Ars
This first stage has previously flown three times.
Trevor Mahlmann for Ars
This was the first time SpaceX has flown a first stage four times.
Trevor Mahlmann for Ars
Steckel has also observed the backlash by astronomers as SpaceX has begun to put hundreds of satellites into space. Starlink represents just the vanguard of mega-constellations, which will likely eventually entail tens of thousands of satellites in orbit at altitudes of about 654 to 1, km. Because OneWeb’s satellites will be about twice as high as Starlink satellites, at 1, km, Steckel said they should not be visible to the naked eye. In addition, he said, OneWeb has been in dialogue with both the Royal Astronomical Society in London and the American Astronomical Society.
“I would love to be able to tell you that this is a non-issue for us, but we don’t know for sure,” he said. “What I can say is that we’re working to minimize the impact to astronomy and the night sky.”
Listing image by Arianespace
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