ISRO said this will be the company’s 14th launch and the satellites will be put into orbit by ISRO’s heaviest rocket, the GSLV-MkIII.
Representative Image(Source: ISRO)
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch 36 satellites of UK based communications network OneWeb, it announced in a tweet on October 6.
ISRO said that the launch will happen later this month. The launch will happen under the ‘OneWeb India-1 mission’ also known as ‘LVM3 M2’. This satellite launch will mark LVM3’s entry into the global commercial launch service market.
ISRO to launch 36 satellites of OneWeb onboard LVM3, nominally during the second half of Oct 2022. With this “LVM3 M2/ OneWeb India-1 Mission”, the 1st LVM3 dedicated commercial launch on demand through NSIL, LVM3 enters the Global commercial launch service market. @OneWeb pic.twitter.com/7vyvnRDPMW
— ISRO (@isro) October 6, 2022
To facilitate the launch, OneWeb has partnered with NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
This will be the company’s 14th launch and the satellites will be put into orbit by ISRO’s heaviest rocket, the GSLV-MkIII.
Three more launches are targeted for early next year to complete the constellation, a release by the company said.
Earlier in the year, Bharti Enterprises, a major investor and shareholder in London-headquartered OneWeb, announced a distribution partnership with Hughes Communications India Private Ltd.
Earlier this year OneWeb had said that the company will have 70 per cent of its Gen 1 LEO constellation in orbit, which aims to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband-from-space services.
“OneWeb will connect “hardest-to-reach areas, thus playing a critical role in bridging the digital divide across India”, OneWeb said.
Also Read: Bharti-backed OneWeb to launch 36 satellites from Sriharikota using ISRO rocket
Earlier this year in September Senior Indian Space Research Organisation scientist A K Anil Kumar was elected as the Vice- President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
“It (Anil Kumar’s election) is a recognition of ISRO’s space endeavours that help in promoting international collaboration,” Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO said in a tweet.
