SpaceX launches 40 OneWeb satellites into orbit

SpaceX launched a big batch of OneWeb internet satellites into orbit on December 8 on a mission that supports a mega constellation competitor after OneWeb’s own launch plans were derailed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Report informs referring to Space.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 40 OneWeb satellites launhed from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on December 8 at 5:27 p.m. EST (22:27 GMT), soaring into orbit in a dazzling sunset liftoff. Cameras on the ground captured stunning views of the Falcon 9 as its first stage separated, then returned to Earth to make a pinpoint landing on a SpaceX pad at the nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The Falcon 9 first stage landing was SpaceX’s 145th successful rocket recovery and the fourth launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description (opens in new tab). It previously launched a SpaceX Dragon cargo mission to the International Space Station for NASA in December 2021, Eutelsat’s Hotbird 13F spacecraft this past October, and one batch of SpaceX’s Starlink internet statellites.

The Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, continued carrying the OneWeb satellites to orbit.

The Falcon 9 deployed the spacecraft as planned (opens in new tab) in three roughly equal sets, beginning at 58 minutes post-launch and ending 30 minutes after that.

OneWeb is building a 648-satellite broadband constellation in low Earth orbit, which will compete to some degree with SpaceX’s Starlink. More than 460 OneWeb spacecraft had reached orbit before today's flight, the vast majority of them atop Russian-built Soyuz rockets operated by French company Arianespace.