March 4, 2019 at 01:46One Web is ahead of SpaceX in deploying Internet satellites
On February 28, the Soyuz-ST-B launch vehicle with six British OneWeb satellites launched from the Kourou Cosmodrome (French Guiana). The launch was regular, placing the first six OneWeb satellites in a circular orbit at an altitude of 1000 km. The launch itself was postponed several times and one of the reasons was the rupture of the seam of the helium supply pipe to the fuel tanks.
The OneWeb project involves the creation of a constellation of 650-900 satellites to ensure uninterrupted Internet access around the world, with a focus on accessibility for those who live in remote regions. Assuming that the first six OneWeb spacecraft are already nominally in orbit, the first phase of the company could be completed by the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021. Then expect the beginning of the provision of services.
Compared to OneWeb, a similar StarX project from SpaceX (even at the very early stages) involves a much larger scale, offering 2-7 times more spacecraft and an overall throughput, which is likely to be even greater. SpaceX has applied for 4,400 satellites. Partly because of this, Starlink satellites and associated infrastructure are likely to be more complex and expensive to mass produce and operate. Combined with satellite-to-satellite laser communication systems that can make Starlink truly revolutionary, it remains to be seen whether these innovations will pay off.
Due to the relative simplicity and lower mass of the OneWeb satellite, as well as its partnership with the industry giant Airbus Defense and Space and the partial completion of the Florida satellite manufacturing plant, OneWeb will undoubtedly be several steps ahead of SpaceX, at least in terms of speedy achievement of the commercial launch operation. SpaceX has already gained experience operating its first two demonstration satellites - known as Tintin A and B - for an entire year in orbit, but all that is known about Starlink’s first operational launches is that CEO Elon Musk is determined to begin deploying the constellation no later than June 2019. At the end of last year, Elon Musk, not satisfied with the pace of development and testing of satellites, fired 7 top managers,
A lot of open vacancies and insider information from various sources indicate that the Starlink program is largely focused on the deployment of satellite production after several years of development. It is unclear whether a second set of prototype satellites is planned, as Musk previously hinted at, several months after the debut of the first pair of satellites, in February 2018.
Production of One Web satellites.
In addition to the satellites themselves, potential global Internet constellation operators must solve an equally important and difficult task: to develop both a high-performance and low-cost user terminal, antenna and related electronics that turn the signals of the spacecraft into an accessible and reliable Internet connection. SpaceX’s work in this direction took place without high-profile statements, while OneWeb founder Greg Wyler recently began to reveal details and wrote on Twitter that his team had created a prototype antenna for $ 15, capable of supporting data transfer at a speed of 20-60 Mbit / s.
Meanwhile, the encouraging success of the company's first launch paved the way for the first full launch of the OneWeb spacecraft. From 32 to 36 satellites can be installed on the Russian Soyuz-2 launch vehicle with the direct participation of Arianespace. OneWeb has a contract for 21 launches of Soyuz-2 launch vehicles, with an average pace of one launch per month between the first operational launch and the completion of the constellation of 650 first-phase satellites. Shortly after the first launch was completed, Arianespace CEO Stefan Israel announced that he had made a deal with OneWeb about the first two launches of the Ariane 6 rocket, which is due to debut in 2020.
A source
The OneWeb project involves the creation of a constellation of 650-900 satellites to ensure uninterrupted Internet access around the world, with a focus on accessibility for those who live in remote regions. Assuming that the first six OneWeb spacecraft are already nominally in orbit, the first phase of the company could be completed by the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021. Then expect the beginning of the provision of services.
Compared to OneWeb, a similar StarX project from SpaceX (even at the very early stages) involves a much larger scale, offering 2-7 times more spacecraft and an overall throughput, which is likely to be even greater. SpaceX has applied for 4,400 satellites. Partly because of this, Starlink satellites and associated infrastructure are likely to be more complex and expensive to mass produce and operate. Combined with satellite-to-satellite laser communication systems that can make Starlink truly revolutionary, it remains to be seen whether these innovations will pay off.
Due to the relative simplicity and lower mass of the OneWeb satellite, as well as its partnership with the industry giant Airbus Defense and Space and the partial completion of the Florida satellite manufacturing plant, OneWeb will undoubtedly be several steps ahead of SpaceX, at least in terms of speedy achievement of the commercial launch operation. SpaceX has already gained experience operating its first two demonstration satellites - known as Tintin A and B - for an entire year in orbit, but all that is known about Starlink’s first operational launches is that CEO Elon Musk is determined to begin deploying the constellation no later than June 2019. At the end of last year, Elon Musk, not satisfied with the pace of development and testing of satellites, fired 7 top managers,
A lot of open vacancies and insider information from various sources indicate that the Starlink program is largely focused on the deployment of satellite production after several years of development. It is unclear whether a second set of prototype satellites is planned, as Musk previously hinted at, several months after the debut of the first pair of satellites, in February 2018.
Production of One Web satellites.
In addition to the satellites themselves, potential global Internet constellation operators must solve an equally important and difficult task: to develop both a high-performance and low-cost user terminal, antenna and related electronics that turn the signals of the spacecraft into an accessible and reliable Internet connection. SpaceX’s work in this direction took place without high-profile statements, while OneWeb founder Greg Wyler recently began to reveal details and wrote on Twitter that his team had created a prototype antenna for $ 15, capable of supporting data transfer at a speed of 20-60 Mbit / s.
Meanwhile, the encouraging success of the company's first launch paved the way for the first full launch of the OneWeb spacecraft. From 32 to 36 satellites can be installed on the Russian Soyuz-2 launch vehicle with the direct participation of Arianespace. OneWeb has a contract for 21 launches of Soyuz-2 launch vehicles, with an average pace of one launch per month between the first operational launch and the completion of the constellation of 650 first-phase satellites. Shortly after the first launch was completed, Arianespace CEO Stefan Israel announced that he had made a deal with OneWeb about the first two launches of the Ariane 6 rocket, which is due to debut in 2020.
A source