OneWeb to launch satellites with SpaceX after Russian agreement suspended

British satellite internet service provider OneWeb will
resume satellite launches with Elon Musk-led SpaceX, the company said on
Monday. It had suspended launches from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. OneWeb did not disclose the
terms of the new launch agreement. It stated that the first launch with SpaceX
is “anticipated in 2022”.

Earlier in March, OneWeb said it would suspend launches
after Moscow’s space agency Roscosmos asked for guarantees that its technology
would not be used for military purposes.

Also Read | OneWeb suspends satellite launches from Russia-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome

The British government which holds a stake in OneWeb said
it was reconsidering its engagement in further projects with Russia after its
“illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”

The company expects its first launch with SpaceX to add
to its in-orbit constellation of 428 satellites, reported Reuters.

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“We thank SpaceX for their support, which reflects our
shared vision for the boundless potential of space. With these launch plans in
place, we’re on track to finish building out our full fleet of satellites and
deliver robust, fast, secure connectivity around the globe,” said Neil
Masterson, chief executive of OneWeb.

Indian telecom operator Bharti Group also owns a stake in
OneWeb. The company is building a constellation of 648 low-Earth orbits (LEO)
satellites, of which 428 satellites, or two-thirds of the constellation, have
already been deployed in orbit.

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OneWeb, which will provide broadband through a
constellation of 650 satellites, was saved from bankruptcy by the British
government and Bharti Global in 2020. Eutelsat Communications and SoftBank
Group Corp are among other investors in the firm.

The regular launches of OneWeb were conducted with the
Russian rocket Soyuz, which is operated by Roscosmos, the state-owned Russian
space agency.

SpaceX’s Starlink also provides internet service to
underserved or difficult to reach regions using low earth orbit satellites.