Airbus Defence and Space has secured a significant new contract from Eutelsat to manufacture an additional 340 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for the OneWeb constellation. This follows a previous order for 100 satellites placed in December 2024, bringing the total new satellite procurement to 440 units. The primary objective of this expansion is to guarantee the operational continuity and future evolution of the global network.
The satellites will be constructed at Airbus’s facility in Toulouse, France, utilizing a newly established production line, with deliveries scheduled to commence from the end of 2026. Eutelsat highlights this move as a strategic step reinforcing European industrial sovereignty in the critical space infrastructure domain.
The existing OneWeb constellation already comprises over 600 satellites orbiting at 1,200km, providing high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity worldwide. This next generation of satellites will progressively replace earlier models reaching their end-of-life, ensuring uninterrupted service for a growing global customer base. Beyond direct replacement, the new batch incorporates significant technological upgrades. These include advanced digital channelisers for superior onboard processing, leading to greater network efficiency, flexibility, and enhanced long-term performance.
A key feature of the latest design is its optimised architecture, which opens opportunities for new commercial applications. Specifically, the satellites will offer embarkation capabilities for hosted payloads, allowing Eutelsat to explore innovative business cases alongside its core connectivity services.
Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, stated, “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.”
Echoing the sentiment of continued partnership, Jean-François Fallacher, Eutelsat’s Chief Executive Officer, 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.”
The contract solidifies the collaboration between the two European giants, focusing on maintaining a competitive and state-of-the-art satellite constellation to meet the escalating demand for global broadband connectivity.
