French-based satellite operator Eutelsat has contracted Airbus Defence and Spaceto build 340 OneWeb low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
This latest move adds to the 100 satellites procured in December 2024, bringing the total number of ordered satellites to 440, according to a statement.
In the statement, Eutelsat says the satellites will be manufactured at Airbus Defence and Space’s Toulouse facility on a newly-installed production line, with delivery from the end of 2026.
Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO satellite network aims to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity on a global basis. Over 600 satellites are flying in 12 synchronised orbital planes 1 200km above the Earth.
The availability of these latest satellites will assure full operational continuity for customers of the constellation, progressively replacing early batches coming to end of operational life, says the firm.
Jean-François Fallacher, Eutelsat CEO comments: “We are pleased to rely on our long-standing partner, Airbus, for the procurement of these latest satellites. They ensure service continuity for the growing number of our customers and distribution partners benefiting from the performance of our ubiquitous, low latency LEO capacity, and enable us to pursue our growth path, building on the 80% topline expansion delivered in 2025.”
“This latest contract from Eutelsat is an endorsement of our design and manufacturing expertise for LEO satellites. Airbus has been a key partner and supplier to Eutelsat for more than 30 years and this award further cements our important relationship,” adds Alain Fauré, head of space systems at Airbus Defence and Space.
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