(Sinnamary) A Soyuz launcher launched from the Guiana Space Center Thursday at 3:99 p.m. (1:09 p.m. EST), carrying 34 satellites on board to complete the OneWeb constellation, intended to bridge the digital divide.
Posted at 3:17 p.m.
The firing window was used despite cloudy skies. Once released, they will bring to 428, out of the 648 to be deployed in low orbit, the number of components of this constellation, the company of which aims to complete the deployment during the year.
Thirteen OneWeb launches have been carried out since the start of orbiting. Seven more flights — all with Soyuz — will be needed to place all of the constellation’s satellites.
The latest took place on December 27, from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
These satellites are manufactured in Florida, in a system similar to an assembly line, from which two satellites can be produced each day.
They must offer better internet connectivity especially in isolated areas of the planet. These connections will also be useful for air and maritime links.
“OneWeb seeks to bring connectivity to the most difficult to access places, where fiber cannot be installed, and thus reduce the digital divide”, details the press release from Arianespace.
At the Center Spatial Guyanais, a French and European launch base in French Guiana, the year 2022 will be marked in particular by the launch, scheduled for April, of the new generation of Vega launcher, called Vega-C.
In the fall, Ariane 6, the flagship of the European aerospace industry, should take off from Kourou, despite a delay due to technical problems and the COVID-19 pandemic.