Nearly a month after it was snubbed by Russia from launching its broadband satellite connection, the UK's OneWebb entered into an agreement with the commercial arm of Indian Space & Research Organisation (Isro), New Space India Limited. Under the agreement, Isro will launch OneWeb satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota into Low Earth Orbit, Trend reports citing India Today.
The first launch of the satellite constellation from India is targetted for later this year, adding to its in-orbit constellation of 428 satellites. The company said that it will launch 66 per cent of the planned total fleet, to build a global network that will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
Details of the agreement have not been released.
“This is yet another historic day for collaboration in space, thanks to the shared ambition and vision of New Space India and OneWeb. This most recent agreement on launch plans adds considerable momentum to the development of OneWeb’s network, as we work together across the space industry toward our common goal of connecting communities globally," OneWeb Executive Chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal said in a statement.
The latest agreement comes on the heels of an agreement with Elon Musk's SpaceX. While the terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, the development brings the two competitors together for the first time. Musk's SpaceX has been launching its own broadband satellite constellation dubbed Starlink.