Eutelsat orders 229 OneWeb satellites from Airbus, total reaches 669
Eutelsat has placed a new order for low Earth orbit satellites from Airbus Defence and Space, during the Paris International Space Summit.
This order brings to 669 the total number of new OneWeb satellites entrusted to the European manufacturer for constellation renewal.
229 additional satellites ordered from Airbus
On September 10, 2026, in the presence of Philippe Baptiste, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space, Eutelsat ordered 229 additional satellites from Airbus to strengthen its OneWeb constellation.
The operator signed an Authority to Proceed (ATP) agreement with Airbus Defence and Space covering initial industrial activities related to these spacecraft.
These are in addition to the 440 satellites already ordered from Airbus, with delivery and launch scheduled in the coming months. The total thus reaches 669 new OneWeb satellites manufactured by Airbus.
Manufacturing in Toulouse with technological improvements
The satellites will be manufactured at Airbus Defence and Space's facility in Toulouse, which is already building the previous batches.
This new series incorporates the features of earlier satellites as well as improvements made during program development. It will notably include advanced digital channelizers, designed to enhance onboard processing capabilities, performance and flexibility.
It will also be possible to host additional payloads alongside the OneWeb mission in Ku-band.
Fleet renewal to ensure service continuity
Eutelsat's OneWeb network, in low Earth orbit (LEO), comprises more than 600 satellites operating on 12 orbital planes at an altitude of 1,200 km and provides high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
The deployment of these new satellites aims to ensure operational continuity for constellation customers, progressively replacing the first batches reaching end of mission.
According to Jean-François Fallacher, Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat, the addition of 229 satellites is part of a fleet renewal program, alongside the IRIS² constellation. For Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, this contract is part of a long-standing partnership between the two groups.
