Flight ST28, the 28th Soyuz commercial mission from the Baikonur Cosmodrome performed by Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate, will put 34 OneWeb satellites into a near polar orbit at an altitude of 450 kilometers. After separation, the satellites will raise themselves to their operational orbit.
The initial six OneWeb satellites were successfully orbited by Arianespace on Soyuz Flight VS21 from French Guiana on February 27, 2019. On February 7, 2020, Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate launched successfully from Baikonour 34 OneWeb satellites on Soyuz Flight ST27.
OneWeb’s mission is to deliver global communications through a next-generation satellite constellation that will bring seamless connectivity to everyone, everywhere.
To achieve its purpose, OneWeb is building a network composed of low-Earth orbit satellites that will provide high-speed, low latency services to a wide range of customers in sectors that include aeronautics, maritime, backhaul services, community Wi-Fi, emergency response services and more. Central to its mission, OneWeb also will focus on connecting schools and bridging the digital divide for people everywhere.
Once deployed, the OneWeb constellation will enable user terminals capable of offering 3G, LTE, 5G and Wi-Fi coverage, providing high-speed access around the world — by air, sea and land.
OneWeb Satellites — a joint venture between OneWeb and Airbus Defence and Space — is the constellation’s prime contractor. The OneWeb spacecraft for Flight ST28 were built in OneWeb Satellites’ Florida-based series production line dedicated to the assembly, integration, and test of the OneWeb satellites. They will be the 41st to 74th OneWeb satellites to be launched by Arianespace.