36 OneWeb satellites
successfully launched by ISRO/ NSIL from Sriharikota
All 36 satellites are
operational, bringing OneWeb’s total Gen 1 LEO
constellation to 462 satellites. Launch 14 from the
Satish Dhawan Space Centre SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota,
India marks the first dedicated commercial launch
for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) using the LVM3
rocket. With this successful launch, the LVM3 has
become a catalyst for the Indian Space Programme,
opening new vistas for heavy payloads to the LEO.
Sriharikota, India, 23 October
2022 – OneWeb today confirmed the successful
deployment of 36 satellites launched by NewSpace
India Limited (NSIL), from the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre (SDSC- SHAR) in Sriharikota, India. This
launch by ISRO and NSIL is one of the biggest
commercial orders by India’s premier space
organization, and the first using the LVM3 rocket.
The lift-off took place on
Sunday, 23rd October 2022 at 00.07hrs local time.
OneWeb’s satellites separated successfully from the
rocket and were dispensed in nine phases over a
period of 1 hour and 15 minutes, with signal
acquisition on all 36 satellites confirmed.
This is OneWeb’s 14th launch,
bringing the constellation to 462 satellites. This
launch represents more than 70% of its planned 648
low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite fleet that will
deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity
worldwide. With only four more launches to go,
OneWeb remains on track to activate global coverage
in 2023, while its connectivity solutions are
already live in regions north of 50-degrees
latitude.
This partnership with NSIL and
ISRO demonstrates OneWeb’s commitment to provide
connectivity across the length and breadth of India
by 2023. From Ladakh to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to
Arunachal Pradesh, OneWeb will bring secured
solutions not only to enterprises but also to towns,
villages, municipalities and schools, including the
hardest-to-reach areas across the country. OneWeb’s
commitment to enhance connectivity in India is
backed by Bharti Global, its largest investor.
The LVM3 launch vehicle
realised with complete indigenised technology had
four consecutive successful missions, which includes
the critical Chandrayaan-2 mission. The vehicle
underwent several critical tests as a part of human
rating for the Gaganyaan programme. The cryo stage
was uniquely designed to orient and re-orient in
orthogonal direction to meet the customer
requirements of injecting satellites precisely and
with a gap to avoid collision. The vehicle was
realised in a short span of time on a demand-driven
basis to meet the user’s timeline.
Shri. Somanath S, Secretary,
Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO, said:
“Today’s event is very historic to the country and
the Indian Space Programme. This is the first ever
commercial launch of LVM3 with a heaviest payload to
LEO. The LVM3 was conceived primarily for launching
geo-stationary satellites with a payload capacity of
4T, which can be used for launching 6T payloads for
LEO.
“The mission is very critical
to meet the customer’s expectations to launch 36
satellites in 9 phases with precision. The mission
was designed in such a way, that C25 stage was to
handle this operation using in-house built inertial
navigation systems. The injection of the satellites
was so precise to the expectation of the customer.
NSIL, the commercial arm of ISRO, entered into this
contract and executed the same in a record time.
“This will pave way for more
launches in the future. The interaction with OneWeb
was so seamless, right from the receipt of the
satellites until injection. ISRO and OneWeb teams
worked like a family. I compliment all the ISRO
centres and Indian industries for the commendable
job and congratulate NSIL and OneWeb for the
successful launch of LVM3 M2 / OneWeb India-1
mission.”
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Executive
Chairman of OneWeb, said: “Today’s launch is a
significant milestone for OneWeb. This new phase of
our launch programme from India brings us a step
closer to not only enhancing our global coverage but
also delivering connectivity in India and South
Asia, particularly to the communities who need it
most.
“I am proud to be here in
Sriharikota, with our partners, ISRO and NSIL. Today
my dream of having an Indian element in the OneWeb
constellation has been realized. This launch with
ISRO and NSIL opens up the space sector in India
with the possibility of billions of dollars flowing
into the country.
“I would like to laud our
Hon’ble Prime Minister for his visionary leadership
in opening up the space sector for private
participation. I also extend my gratitude to ISRO,
NSIL and the Indian authorities for matching the
precise schedule for this launch, which has been
done in a record time.”
Radhakrishnan D,
Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NewSpace India
Limited, added: “The successful launch of 36 OneWeb
satellites via the GSLV-MkIII from the Satish Dhawan
Space Centre is a historic moment for NSIL and ISRO.
We worked closely with the OneWeb team to support
this milestone launch, which has been accomplished
in a record time of a few months, while also
illustrating the opportunities for satellite
connectivity in India. We look forward to
strengthening our partnership with OneWeb and
utilising the potential that LEO connectivity has to
deliver broadband services across India.”
Neil Masterson, Chief Executive
of OneWeb, commented: “I am delighted that we have
been able to resume OneWeb’s launch programme. This
launch was made possible thanks to the hard work by
our team and our partners at ISRO and NSIL, as well
as shareholder Bharti Global. The spirit of
collaboration exemplified by this international
effort is at the core of our strategy to scale up
our global coverage network. At OneWeb, we remain
laser-focused on removing barriers to connectivity,
ensuring that we deliver for communities and
customers globally.”
Over the coming months, OneWeb
will continue its focus on the launch programme and
will also work with key distribution partners and
customers to roll out connectivity solutions where
its services are live. OneWeb will advance
innovative strategic partnerships with leading
companies in the communications sector, and sign
agreements in the coming months to support the
rollout of its coverage solutions.
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