Eutelsat orders 340 additional satellites to replenish OneWeb constellation

WASHINGTON — Eutelsat has ordered the remaining 340 satellites needed to replenish its OneWeb satellite constellation from Airbus Defence and Space.

The companies announced Jan. 12 that Eutelsat will purchase 340 satellites for the OneWeb system, with deliveries beginning at the end of 2026.

The order follows a December 2024 agreement in which Eutelsat contracted with Airbus for 100 satellites intended to replenish the existing OneWeb constellation. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Eutelsat has previously projected spending about 2.2 billion euros ($2.6 billion) for a total of 440 satellites.

“We are pleased to rely on our long-standing partner, Airbus, for the procurement of these latest satellites,” Jean-François Fallacher, chief executive of Eutelsat, said in a statement. “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.”

The award comes after Eutelsat raised 828 million euros in November from major shareholders, including the French and British governments, Indian conglomerate Bharti, shipping company CMA CGM and the FSP investment fund backed by seven France-based insurers. Those shareholders also participated in a separate capital raise of 670 million euros announced Dec. 12.

The new satellites are intended to replace first-generation OneWeb spacecraft, most of which were launched between 2020 and 2023. Those satellites are expected to reach the end of their design lives in 2027 and 2028.

The first-generation satellites were built in Florida by Airbus OneWeb Satellites, a joint venture between Airbus and OneWeb. That joint venture was dissolved two years ago when Airbus bought Eutelsat’s 50% stake for an undisclosed sum.

Airbus continues to operate the Florida factory but said the new OneWeb satellites will be built in Toulouse, France, on a new production line. “This is a further step for European sovereignty,” Airbus said in its statement announcing the contract.

The companies plan to incorporate technology upgrades in the new satellites, including advanced digital payloads and onboard processing. Space computing company Ramon.Space announced in May that it had won a contract to provide digital payloads for at least 70 of the first 100 new satellites.

Ramon.Space said the payloads will allow the satellites to be better integrated with Eutelsat’s fleet of geostationary communications satellites as well as the IRIS² constellation under development. Eutelsat plans to invest about 2 billion euros in IRIS² alongside other companies and European governments, with deployment scheduled to begin toward the end of the decade.