OneWeb Constellation

The Satellite communications company OneWeb announced the arrival of 36 satellites at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota for its joint venture with NewSpace, the commercial arm of ISRO.

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About OneWeb Satellite Constellation

OneWeb Constellation is a planned network of 648 LEO satellites.
OneWeb Constellation aimed to deliver high data throughput, low latency, and true global coverage to the poles at a price competitive with other ground-based internet services.
First six satellites of the OneWeb constellation programme were launched on February 27, 2019
With the expected launch of 36 satellite, OneWeb will have placed 70% of its planned number of Gen 1 low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites in orbit as part of its high-speed global broadband programme.
OneWeb Constellation services are already available in Alaska, Canada, the U.K., and the Arctic region.
India’s Bharti Enterprises, which owns Bharti Airtel, is a major investor and shareholder in OneWeb.

OneWeb Constellation: Highlight

OneWeb satellites will be carried onboard GSLV-Mk III, ISRO’s heaviest rocket.
OneWeb Constellation aims to achieve satellite constellation and setting up of a global broadband internet service by the end of 2023.

OneWeb Constellation: Significance for India

To provide satellite broadband services in India.
To help in bridging the digital divide in India.
Space Economy: It can provide a huge impetus and even more global exposure to the country’s space industry.
- India’s space economy is valued at ₹36,794 crores (approximately $5 billion) for the 2020-21 fiscal year, which is 0.19% of its GDP.
- India expenditure on Space sector to its GDP is more than that of China, Germany, Italy and Japan, although less than the U.S. and Russia.
- To this date, ISRO has earned $279 million in foreign exchange by launching satellites for global clients through its commercial arm.

OneWeb Constellation: Impact of Russia-Ukraine crisis

Prior to February 2022, all of OneWeb’s satellites were launched onboard the Russian Soyuz rocket. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022,
Sanctions were imposed on Russia, which impacted OneWeb’s supply chain, and indirectly, on its constellation service.
It caused OneWeb’s operating loss to increase by 631% in comparison to the previous year.

About NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)

NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) is the commercial arm of the Indian space agency ISRO.
It was incorporated in March 2019 and is under the administrative control of the Department of Space (DOS) of the Government of India.
NSIL has an authorised share capital of ₹100 crore and a paid-up capital of ₹10 crore.
Its mission is to enable Indian industries to develop a high-technology manufacturing base for space programmes.
It provides launch services, satellite building and associated ground services, technology transfer, and satellite-based services.
Low-earth orbit satellites remain relatively close to the earth’s surface, usually at an altitude of less than 1,000 km.
- They are mostly used for telecommunication and satellite imagery.

Starlink Constellation

Starlink offers internet speeds of between 100 and 200 megabits per second.
It also claims to offer latencies as low as 20 milliseconds. It does this through the company’s ever-expanding Starlink constellation, which currently has 2,112 satellites in orbit.
The company aims to orbit the constellation at around 340 miles above Earth.