On Sunday, October 20, SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, successfully launched 20 satellites into orbit for the subsidiary “Eutelsat OneWeb” of the “Eutelsat Group,” a European communications satellite group.
The Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX took off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 1:13 AM Eastern Time, carrying a batch of V1 satellites for the Eutelsat OneWeb company.
The first stage of Falcon 9 returned to Earth as planned and landed at the 4th landing zone at Vandenberg approximately eight minutes after liftoff.
According to the mission description provided by SpaceX, this was the seventh launch and landing for this particular booster.
SpaceX also shared a video on their social media platform showcasing the deployment of the Eutelsat satellites in space. The successful deployment of the satellites into orbit was confirmed by the Eutelsat Group, stating that all 20 satellites had their signals successfully acquired within 20 minutes of separation.
Eva Berneke, the CEO of the group, expressed delight in the successful launch and deployment of the new OneWeb satellites. She mentioned that these satellites would enhance their network services and improve overall efficiency for customers.
In terms of revenue, Eutelsat is the third-largest satellite operator globally. In September last year, the French company completed a merger with the UK-based OneWeb, forming the new Eutelsat Group, which includes subsidiaries Eutelsat and Eutelsat OneWeb.
Berneke noted in an interview with Reuters that this launch marked the first satellite launch for OneWeb after the merger and hinted at plans to launch more satellites in the coming years.
The Eutelsat Group currently operates over 600 satellites in low Earth orbit, providing services to broadcasting companies, telecom operators, and radio stations. Their clients include telecom operators like Orange in France, Telstra in Australia, and negotiations are ongoing with companies like AT&T in the United States.
Berneke mentioned that the company is also in talks with airlines to offer in-flight connectivity services, including internet browsing, with anticipated revenue growth starting from next year.