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Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) used its heaviest rocket, Launch Vehicle Mark (LVM)-3, to launch 36 satellites for OneWeb on March 26, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. This was the second launch by Isro for OneWeb, a UK-based company supported by the UK government, SoftBank, and India's Bharti Enterprises.
What is OneWeb?
OneWeb is a global communications network powered by a constellation of 648 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Headquartered in London, OneWeb enables high-speed, low-latency connectivity for governments, businesses, and communities around the world. The company was earlier known as WorldVu Satellites Ltd.
OneWeb launched its first satellite in February 2019. However, the company entered bankruptcy in March 2020 after it could not raise the required capital to complete the build and deployment of the rest of the network.
It was later reorganised and acquired by new owners. As of 2021, Indian company Bharti Global, French satellite service provider Eutelsat, the government of the United Kingdom, and Japan's SoftBank are the company's largest shareholders.
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Its official website says the company intends to remove all barriers to connectivity. With its constellation of satellites, OneWeb wants to reach communities and places where access to broadband connectivity is not easy.
Isro expanding in the commercial 'space'
India has been focusing on increasing its share of the global commercial space market. Significantly, the country opened the space sector to private players in 2020. Given its reliability and cost-effectiveness, Isro has built a reputation in the 'space'. However, India only has two per cent of the commercial space market at the moment, a report published in the Indian Express said.
Earlier, OneWeb had planned to launch its satellites through the Russian space agency. However, the plan did not work out because of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Speaking about the launch, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Executive Chairman of OneWeb said, "In my work I have seen the power of connectivity to bring benefits to all, wherever they are. Yet half the world’s population does not have access to fast, reliable connectivity. Today’s launch represents a major step towards closing the digital divide. OneWeb’s global constellation will play a pivotal role in realising this dream."
