Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract by Eutelsat to build the extension of its OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (Leo) constellation. Under the order, Airbus will build the first batches of the extension for a total of 100 satellites, scheduled for delivery from the end of 2026, ensuring continuity and improved service for current and future customers.

European industry has produced the entire fleet of OneWeb satellites, Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, said in a comment. Eva Berneke, CEO of Eutelsat Group, added that the contract concerns: "the first batches of the next generation of our OneWeb Leo constellation, which will ensure service continuity of the existing constellation with improved capabilities, as we move towards an architecture in line with the European IRIS2 constellation in 2030. Our experience in the market shows us that the appetite for low Earth orbit capacity is growing rapidly".

The new satellites will enable key technological upgrades, in particular the terrestrial integration of 5G, and will ensure the compatibility of the technological architecture with the IRIS2 multi-orbital constellation (the third largest European space project after Copernicus and Galileo, developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency. Many European aerospace and telecommunications companies are involved, including Airbus Defence and Space, Deutsche Telekom, Eutelsat, Hispasat, OHB, Orange, SES, Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space).

All 100 new satellites will be built at Airbus's Toulouse site. Production is expected to begin in 2026.