This Airbus deal extends Europe’s only alternative low-Earth-orbit network.
Eutelsat has placed a major order for 340 new satellites from Airbus, reinforcing its ambitions to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink in the fast-growing market for space-based broadband. The satellites will be used to refresh and extend the OneWeb low-Earth-orbit (LEO) constellation, the companies said on Monday.
The new batch is designed primarily to replace OneWeb’s earliest satellites as they reach the end of their operational lives, ensuring continuity of service. OneWeb’s first spacecraft were launched roughly six years ago, before the London-based operator merged with Paris-headquartered Eutelsat in 2023 to create a European satellite heavyweight.
