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Space

OneWeb Launches 36 Satellites (cnet.com) 30

Posted by msmash from the moving-forward dept.
OneWeb is back. The company on Friday made its fourth launch of a batch of satellites to build up its constellation in low-Earth orbit that eventually will provide broadband internet access around the globe. From a report: The latest group of 36 satellites headed to orbit atop a Russian Soyuz rocket from Vostochny Cosmodrome, ending a long delay since the last OneWeb launch, on Feb. 6. The nine months since then have seen the company file for bankruptcy at the start of the coronavirus pandemic only to re-emerge under new ownership led by the British government and India's Bharti Global. OneWeb is now flying over 100 satellites of a planned 648-bird constellation.
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OneWeb Launches 36 Satellites More

OneWeb Launches 36 Satellites

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  • SpaceX (Score:3)

    by Arthur, KBE ( 6444066 ) on Friday December 18, 2020 @03:10PM (#60845718)
    OneWeb can't be price competitive with SpaceX if they're doing this with Soyuz rockets. So it stands to reason they have other advantages, then? Speed? Coverage? I'm not really seen a sound business model here.
    • Yes, that was my first thought as well. They have 100 satellites so far. Heck, SpaceX sends that many up within a matter of months. A total of 648 satellites planned? At their current deployment rate that will only take what, another 7 to 10 years or so. Yeah, not seeing an advantage here.

    • I've read something about OneWeb using lower frequencies, and trying to focus on IoT devices.
      The advantage *might* be that it has a lower cost per connected device through a receiver that is much simpler than Starlink's motorized dish.
      That said, it frankly sounds like a doomed project that is only alive for the moment because of the backing of the UK government. They went from 500 employees in March to around 80 now.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by dj245 ( 732906 )

        I've read something about OneWeb using lower frequencies, and trying to focus on IoT devices. The advantage *might* be that it has a lower cost per connected device through a receiver that is much simpler than Starlink's motorized dish. That said, it frankly sounds like a doomed project that is only alive for the moment because of the backing of the UK government. They went from 500 employees in March to around 80 now.

        That said, it frankly sounds like a doomed project that is only alive for the moment because of the backing of the UK government. They went from 500 employees in March to around 80 now.

        Is that necessarily a problem? Once you've designed the satellites and receivers, started launching, and tested and refined your constellation management software, it's reasonable to me that fewer workers would be required.

    • The real cost ticket is not launch, it's R&D and the production pipeline buildup and that they finished before bankruptcy. So now they very much are competitive, because all these costs were written off.

    • There isn't going to be a direct price competition for the same customers. Starlink doesn't plan to be able to serve everybody any decade soon. There's plenty of room for OneWeb to serve different people.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by vix86 ( 592763 )

      OneWeb satellites have polar orbits. The obvious benefit for this is with the US military since they fly over the poles to China and Russia. Plus anyone in Northern Canada, Alaska, and maybe even N. Scotland might see more benefit with OneWeb compared to Starlink, for now. I've also heard that it means that OneWeb can operate a full constellation with fewer satellites compared to Starlink.

      The downside I see is that the UK government has direct ownership in the company which is kind of "eh" in my opinion. Pl

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        The UK bought it because it failed to negotiate access to the Galileo project and was booted out, leaving it with a bunch of space tech companies in need of a new market.

        In other words it's just there to funnel money to mates of the Tory party, not to do anything useful.

  • Does anyone know what OneWeb's service will cost, and what speeds it will handle?
    • Watched the video, but it says it transmits to the satellite at 32 Mbs but downloads at 150 Mbs, does that mean the base stations can transmit to the satellites a lot faster? Also the satellites are at 1200 miles above the Earth. That means double the lag time as the Starlink system, will this make a big differences? Last but not less, what is the hang time for a dead unit. The Starlinks will deorbit in 1-2 years no matter what goes wrong with an unit's control. But at 1200 miles I would expect a dead

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