Eutelsat Communications and OneWeb have signed a memorandum to create the world’s leading satellite communications company.
French satellite operator Eutelstat Communication and Britain’s OneWeb are set to team up to take on the likes of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Bloomberg reported this.
The UK and French governments own stakes in OneWeb and Eutelsat, respectively.
In particular, Eutelsat will combine its 36 geostationary satellites with OneWeb low earth orbit satellites, of which 428 are currently in orbit. In total, 684 satellites are planned to be launched at the disposal of the joint operator.
It is noted that OneWeb has long been positioned as a competitor to SpaceX’s satellite Internet project – Starlink, but collapsed in 2020 when leading investors withdrew their money amid the coronavirus pandemic. The UK government has allocated around $500 million under the guise of protecting a potentially valuable technology asset post-Brexit.
According to the publication Eutelsat and OneWeb have conflicting relations with Russia. In March, OneWeb said it would use SpaceX to launch its satellites after Russia blocked the launch from its soil.
Eutelsat continues to provide select satellite services to Russia, even after pressure from European regulators. According to the company’s website, it covers 50% of homes in Russia and surrounding regions.
It was previously reported that Moldova launched the first satellite in its history into space.
Russian cosmonauts will make three flights on SpaceX ships
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Source: korrespondent
