SpaceX launches 20 satellites for Eutelsat OneWeb. Photo: SpaceX

Eutelsat Communications confirmed a successful launch for 2o new OneWeb satellites launched over the weekend. SpaceX launched the satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 19.

The satellites separated successfully from the vehicle and were dispensed in 10 batches over a period of 20 minutes, with signal acquisition confirmed on all 20 satellites. The satellites were built by Airbus U.S. Space & Defense in Florida.

This was quite a symbolic launch for Eutelsat, as it occurred following the one-year anniversary of the merger between Eutelsat and OneWeb to create a GEO-LEO operator.

This was also the first OneWeb launch of 2024. The most recent prior launch was a dual mission with Iridium last year.

“These satellites will strengthen our network services, improving overall performance for our customers. As we celebrate the anniversary of the merger with Eutelsat and OneWeb, we are excited by the growing demand for our multi-orbit services and we remain committed to delivering value for our customers and shareholders. I want to thank and congratulate the teams at Eutelsat Group and SpaceX for their hard work to facilitate this launch,” Eva Berneke, CEO of Eutelsat, said in a statement.