Europe and Middle East
Airbus lands Eutelsat contract to build 340 additional OneWeb LEO satellites
Airbus Defence and Space will build 340 more OneWeb LEO satellites for Eutelsat to expand and modernise global broadband coverage.
Headline
Airbus Defence and Space will build 340 more OneWeb LEO satellites for Eutelsat to expand and modernise global broadband coverage.
Context
• Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract by Eutelsat to manufacture a further 340 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for the OneWeb constellation, bringing total recent orders to 440 satellites. • The production is intended to ensure continuity of broadband services and incorporate upgrades, but wider competitive challenges and unmet launch timing questions remain for European LEO connectivity. Airbus Defence and Space has secured a contract from French satellite operator Eutelsat to build an additional 340 OneWeb low Earth orbit satellites, expanding the company’s global constellation of broadband spacecraft. This award comes on top of a previous batch of 100 satellites ordered in December 2024, raising the total number of contracted spacecraft to 440.
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
The new satellites will be constructed at Airbus’s facility in Toulouse, France, on a newly established production line specifically intended to support the expanded programme. Deliveries are scheduled to begin from the end of 2026, according to Airbus and Eutelsat statements. The extended fleet will work alongside more than 600 OneWeb satellites already in orbit, which operate in 12 synchronised orbital planes roughly 1,200 km above the Earth, providing broadband connectivity with low latency worldwide. Design updates for the new satellites include advanced onboard digital channelisers that are expected to improve processing efficiency and flexibility. Eutelsat has also indicated plans to evaluate opportunities for hosted payloads and other commercial use cases beyond the core broadband mission, potentially broadening revenue streams. Airbus’s Head of Space Systems, Alain Fauré, said the contract reinforces the longstanding relationship between Airbus and Eutelsat, which has extended for more than three decades. Eutelsat’s Chief Executive Officer, Jean-François Fallacher, noted the satellites will support continuity for customers relying on OneWeb’s network, particularly as demand for low-latency broadband grows. The contract was confirmed on 12 January 2026 by both parties and reflects a broader trend toward satellite broadband infrastructure investment, particularly in competing with dominant networks such as SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.
Key Points
- What happened: contract for LEO satellite expansion
- Why it’s important
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
