6.10.2022
36 OneWeb satellites integrated, Isro to launch constellation on GSLVMk-III this month
The rocket will liftoff at the end of this month from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The Indian Space Research Organisation is set to launch 36 satellites, part f a constellation by OneWeb in the final weeks of this month. The satellites have been integrated into the fairing of the rocket, which will carry them into Low Earth Orbit for deployment.
"Exciting news from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre as we confirm the successful integration of all 36 satellites to our dispenser for OneWeb Launch 14," the company said in a tweet. The satellites will be launched onboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III (GSLVMk-III).
The rocket will liftoff at the end of this month from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on a journey to deploy the internet constellation. Isro is yet to say anything on the final launch date for the mission, which will be the third big mission for the Indian space agency this year.
The satellites arrived in India late last month after which work on their integration has been ongoing. The company in a release said that with this launch, OneWeb will have more than 70 per cent of its planned Gen 1 Low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation in orbit as it progresses to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity services around the world.
The launch will be the company's 14th mission to deploy these satellites into orbit.
Radhakrishnan D, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NewSpace India Limited had said that undertaking the launch of 36 OneWeb satellites onboard GSLV-MkIII from India is a historic moment for NSIL and Isro. We are excited to see the arrival of the satellites and the ground support equipment in India in preparation for the launch.
NSIL has signed two launch contracts with OneWebb for deploying the broadband satellite constellation. The October launch will be the first commercial launch for GSLV-MkIII, which was previously used to launch the ambitious Chandrayaan-2 mission to the Moon.
Quelle: INDIA TODAY
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Update: 22.10.2022
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ISRO To Launch 36 OneWeb Satellites On October 23: All Details
The Indian space agency will fly its rocket carrying 36 satellites of OneWeb early on October 23. According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the launch of its rocket Geosynchrounous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV MkIII) with 36 satellites of OneWeb is scheduled on October 23 at 12.07 a.m.
It said that, the cryogenic engine stage and the equipment bay assembly has been completed. The satellites are encapsulated and assembled in the rocket and final checks are in progress.
NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of the ISRO, has signed two contracts with Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb) for launching the latter’s broadband communication satellites in low earth orbit.
“The total launch mass will be six ton," the official told IANS.
Another set of 36 satellites from OneWeb is planned to be put into orbit in January 2023.
“One additional launch will take place this year and three more are targeted for early next year to complete the constellation," OneWeb had said.
OneWeb is a joint venture between India’s Bharti Global and the UK government.
The satellite company plans to have a constellation of 650 satellites in low-earth orbit to offer communication services.
Quelle: NEWS18
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Update: 24.10.2022
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Indian rocket launches 36 OneWeb satellites
The London-based satellite company, OneWeb, is back on track with the launch of another 36 spacecraft for its global broadband internet system.
The platforms went up on a LVM3 rocket from Sriharikota island in India.
OneWeb's efforts to deploy its telecommunications network had been on hold since March when it was forced to suspend use of Russian Soyuz rockets.
Sunday's flight brings the number of satellites now in orbit above the Earth to 462.
This is more than 70% of the total OneWeb needs to achieve worldwide coverage with its first-generation constellation.
The firm, part owned by the British government, expects to complete the roll-out in the middle of next year.
The LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) is the same as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (GSLV-Mk3), but has a slightly different name when orbits other than a geosynchronous one are being serviced. It is India's largest and most capable rocket.
It lifted clear of the Satish Dhawan spaceport in the state of Andhra Pradesh at 00:07 on Sunday morning (19:37 BST, Saturday).
It took an hour and a half to get all the satellites unloaded at an altitude of 600km. It will be some weeks before the ion engines on the spacecraft move them to their operational, 1,200km-high, polar orbits.
The situation for OneWeb was looking very uncertain back in March.
The company's plans were knocked off course by the war in Ukraine.
The conflict, and the resulting Western sanctions against Russia, led to the firm losing access to Russian Soyuz rockets.
With only two-thirds of its satellites in orbit, OneWeb had to move quickly to secure rides on other carriers. Deals were struck with American rocket providers SpaceX and Relativity Space, and India's New Space India Limited, the commercial arm of India's space agency, Isro, which markets the LVM3.
OneWeb is already offering high-speed broadband connections to beta customers above 50 degrees North and South. This latest launch and another before the end of the year will pull coverage closer to the equator.
"We need to get these launches away that we're doing before Christmas, and that will enable us to turn on the service from 25 degrees North and 25 degrees South. Then we'll complete the roll-out of the constellation by spring, which enables us to complete global commercial service by the end of next year," OneWeb CEO Neil Masterson said.
The big news since March has been the proposed merger between OneWeb and Paris-headquartered Eutelsat.
The French firm operates telecommunications spacecraft higher in the sky in what's termed Geostationary Orbit, at 36,000km in altitude. It is one of the biggest distributors in the world of direct-to-home TV.
The merger plan is currently working its way through the competition and regulatory approval process.
Quelle: BBC