OneWeb wants to encircle the planet with around 900 smallish satellites to provide global broadband access. OneWeb wants to start launching its first satellites this winter, but a key part of its overall launch strategy is their use of Russian rockets.

Russian news site Kommersant reports that Russia’s space agency Roscosmos is likely to lose its existing $1 billion launch contract which covers 21 Soyuz rockets to be deployed between 2019-2021 from three launch sites: Baikonur (Kazakhstan), Vostochny (Russia) and Kourou (French Guiana).

The problems have come about because of objections by Russia’s FSB (its Federal Security Service) and which says the launches are a threat to national security.
…..

Other posts by :

1. IRIS2 free for government usage?
2. Bank: AST SpaceMobile will orbit 356 satellites by 2030
3. SpaceX launches 600th rocket
4. Starlink: 10m customers and counting
5. SES predicts end of ‘big’ Geo satellites
6. Amazon Leo gets approval for 4,504 extra satellites
7. SpaceX gets a portion of India
8. TerreStar wants to build LEO network
9. Musk: “No Starlink phone”

Categories: Articles, Broadband, Satellite