OneWeb satellites will now be delivered to space by India after it cuts ties with Russia

OneWeb, the satellite constellation company, has announced a partnership with New Space India Limited to get its hardware into Low Earth Orbit. The development comes after OneWeb broke off ties with Russia over the war in Ukraine. By securing a new partner, OneWeb will be able to resume the development of its internet delivery satellite constellation.

Under the plans, New Space India Limited – the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will begin launches of OneWeb satellites later this year. The missions are expected to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota later this year. OneWeb already has 428 satellites in orbit which represent 66% of the planned total. The launches from India will help it build on this.

Commenting on the plans, Sunil Bharti Mittal, OneWeb Executive Chairman, said:

“This is yet another historic day for collaboration in space, thanks to the shared ambition and vision of New Space India and OneWeb. This most recent agreement on launch plans adds considerable momentum to the development of OneWeb’s network, as we work together across the space industry toward our common goal of connecting communities globally.”

OneWeb previously announced that it had partnered up with SpaceX to deliver its satellites into orbit. With New Space India Limited on board too, OneWeb will have more choices about how to launch satellites. It could also save the company money as India is known for being able to launch rockets on a budget.

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