Eutelsat Orders 340 More OneWeb Satellites from Airbus
Eutelsat has extended its partnership with Airbus Defence and Space by awarding a contract for the construction of an additional 340 OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Combined with a previous order for 100 satellites placed in December 2024, the latest agreement brings the total number of new OneWeb satellites ordered by Eutelsat to 440.
The expanded procurement is intended to secure long-term operational continuity for the OneWeb constellation, which forms a core pillar of Eutelsat’s global connectivity strategy. The new satellites will progressively replace earlier-generation spacecraft that are approaching the end of their operational life, ensuring uninterrupted service for commercial, government, and enterprise customers.
Manufacturing of the satellites will take place at Airbus Defence and Space’s facility in Toulouse, where a newly installed production line has been established specifically to support high-rate satellite assembly. Deliveries of the new batch are scheduled to begin toward the end of 2026, aligning with OneWeb’s constellation renewal timeline.
The existing OneWeb network currently consists of more than 600 satellites operating in 12 synchronised orbital planes at an altitude of approximately 1,200 kilometres. The constellation provides high-speed, low-latency broadband connectivity worldwide, serving aviation, maritime, enterprise, telecom backhaul, and government users, particularly in regions with limited terrestrial infrastructure.
Eutelsat said the additional 440 satellites will play a critical role in maintaining full service availability as the constellation matures. By introducing new spacecraft ahead of large-scale retirements, the operator aims to avoid capacity gaps while preserving performance standards across its global footprint.
Beyond simple replacement, the latest generation of OneWeb satellites will incorporate technology upgrades designed to enhance capability and flexibility. These include advanced digital channelisers that enable greater onboard data processing, improved spectrum efficiency, and more adaptable network management. The upgrades are expected to support higher performance levels over a longer operational lifespan compared with earlier models.
Eutelsat also indicated that it is evaluating new commercial opportunities enabled by the upgraded satellites, particularly through hosted payload capabilities. Such payloads could allow third parties to deploy dedicated missions—ranging from Earth observation to secure communications—alongside OneWeb’s core broadband services, creating additional revenue streams and expanding the constellation’s utility.
The expanded Airbus contract underscores Eutelsat’s commitment to sustaining and evolving the OneWeb network as competition intensifies in the LEO satellite broadband market. With constellation renewal now firmly underway, Eutelsat is positioning OneWeb to remain a long-term player in global connectivity while leveraging Airbus’s industrial scale and experience in mass satellite production.
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