Airbus Defence and Space has secured a new contract from Eutelsat to manufacture an additional 340 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for the OneWeb constellation. Combined with a previous order of 100 satellites placed in December 2024, Eutelsat’s total commitment now stands at 440 new spacecraft, aimed at ensuring long-term operational continuity of its global LEO network.
The satellites will be produced at Airbus Defence and Space’s facility in Toulouse on a newly installed production line, with deliveries scheduled to begin towards the end of 2026. The programme is also positioned as a further step toward strengthening European space and connectivity sovereignty, as the manufacturing and system integration will remain firmly based in Europe.
OneWeb’s constellation currently consists of more than 600 satellites operating in 12 synchronised orbital planes at an altitude of around 1,200 kilometres. The new satellites will progressively replace earlier batches approaching the end of their operational life, ensuring uninterrupted service for OneWeb’s growing customer base, which relies on low-latency, high-speed global connectivity.
Beyond replacement capacity, the latest generation of satellites will introduce several technological upgrades. These include advanced digital channelisers for enhanced onboard processing, improved efficiency, and greater operational flexibility. The spacecraft will also feature an optimised architecture designed to improve long-term performance and will allow Eutelsat to explore new commercial opportunities, including the integration of hosted payloads.
According to Airbus, the contract reflects confidence in its LEO satellite design and industrial capabilities, while Eutelsat underlined that the new order supports both service continuity and future growth of its global connectivity offering.
This post was published on 12 January 2026 11:18
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