Next OneWeb Launch Delayed Over Faulty Parts - Source

Daniyal Sohail Published July 17, 2021 | 05:10 AM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th July, 2021) The launch of the next batch of OneWeb satellites atop Russia's Soyuz rocket was pushed back by more than a week to buy time for the struggling tech firm to replace faulty parts in some of the devices, a space industry source told Sputnik.

The London-based company planned to loft 34 broadband satellites into space in early August in a bid to expand its in-orbit constellation of 254 satellites that will bring about global internet connectivity. Sources told Sputnik this week that the August 5 launch was delayed until at least August 13.

"The delivery of 34 OneWeb satellites to Baikonur is now planned for July 28 and the launch for August 20-21," a source said, adding that satellites were having some parts replaced at a Florida factory.

OneWeb reached a deal with French satellite launch firm Arianespace in 2015 for 21 launches from Russia's Vostochny spaceport, Kazakhstan's Baikonur and French Guiana's Kourou. In September 2020, OneWeb reduced the number of contracted launches to 19.