PARIS, — Eutelsat plans to invest about €1 billion to procure 229 additional OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites from Airbus Defence and Space, supporting constellation replenishment and expansion through 2034.
Eutelsat and Airbus have signed an Authorisation to Proceed (ATP) for initial industrial work. The agreement was announced at the International Space Summit in Paris in the presence of French Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space Philippe Baptiste.
The order follows two earlier contracts covering 440 OneWeb satellites, awarded to Airbus in late 2024 and early 2026. Together, the three commitments bring the total number of second-generation OneWeb satellites to be manufactured by Airbus to 669.
Production will take place at Airbus Defence and Space's facility in Toulouse, France. The first satellites from the existing 440-unit order are scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026, with launches expected shortly afterward. The additional 229 satellites will be introduced over the following decade to replace first-generation spacecraft approaching the end of their design life and to increase capacity for commercial and government customers.
Upgraded Satellites
The new spacecraft will feature advanced digital channelisers for improved onboard processing, dynamic beam steering and flexible bandwidth allocation based on traffic demand. They will also include interfaces for hosted payloads, allowing institutional or commercial customers to fly sensors such as Earth-observation or thermal-infrared instruments alongside the communications payload.
Structural and power improvements are also intended to improve operational economics over the satellites' service cycle.
OneWeb currently operates more than 600 satellites in 12 synchronized orbital planes at roughly 1,200 kilometers altitude. Eutelsat is the only European operator with a fully operational global LEO broadband network.
Eutelsat said the approximately €1 billion investment is covered by its existing multi-year capital budget and does not change its capital expenditure forecast through the 2029 financial year.
Separately, Eutelsat selected Arianespace for two dedicated Ariane 64 launches of OneWeb satellites in 2027 and 2028 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
Preparing for IRIS²
Eutelsat is positioning OneWeb as its near-term LEO platform ahead of Europe's IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) programme. Eutelsat is expected to lead the design, deployment and operation of the programme's commercial Ku-band LEO segment, which is expected to enter service by mid-2032.
IRIS² is expected to provide more than twice OneWeb's current capacity, with both constellations planned to operate alongside each other through the mid-2030s.
Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher said the additional satellites will strengthen OneWeb while IRIS² will provide new capacity and capabilities. Airbus Defence and Space Head of Space Systems Alain Fauré said the contract demonstrates the maturity of the product, supply chain and Airbus' capability to manufacture large-scale LEO constellations at high rates.
The replenishment programme will support service continuity and capacity for government, enterprise, maritime, aviation, defense and telecommunications customers while preparing Eutelsat for Europe's next phase of sovereign satellite connectivity.
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