European satellite operator Eutelsat has placed an order with Airbus for 340 satellites to refresh and extend its OneWeb low-Earth-orbit (LEO) constellation, the companies said on Monday.
The new satellites will be used to gradually replace OneWeb’s earliest spacecraft as they reach the end of their operational lifetimes, ensuring continuity of service. OneWeb’s first satellites were launched around six years ago, before the London-based operator merged with Eutelsat in 2023.
The latest contract, together with 100 satellites ordered in December 2024, brings the total number of OneWeb satellites ordered to 440. Deliveries of the new spacecraft are expected to begin from the end of 2026.
While financial terms were not disclosed, Eutelsat has previously said that extending the OneWeb constellation until the European Union’s IRIS² system becomes available would require an additional 340 satellites on top of the initial batch of 100. The company estimated last year that the full extension programme would cost between 2 billion and 2.2 billion euros ($2.3 billion to $2.6 billion) over the 2024–2029 period.
Eutelsat has drawn heightened attention from European governments as it operates the only other global LEO broadband constellation besides Starlink, owned by Elon Musk. LEO satellites provide high-speed internet connectivity to governments, businesses and consumers, particularly in remote or underserved regions.
France led a 1.5-billion-euro capital increase in 2025, joined by the United Kingdom and other anchor investors, to strengthen Eutelsat’s balance sheet and support its efforts to compete more effectively with Starlink in the fast-growing satellite broadband market.
