OneWeb to Use PSLV, GSLV Mark III for Satellite Launches

Speaking at the inauguration of Indian Space Association, Sunil Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, has said that OneWeb has entered an agreement with ISRO to use its launch vehicles for OneWeb satellite launches.

OneWeb-ISRO Partnership Brings Satcom to India

Mittal said, "the OneWeb-ISRO collaboration is moving fast. We’ll use ISRO's workhorse, the PSLV and GSLV Mark III to launch OneWeb satellites from India".

He added that this will make the UK-based company ISRO's first commercial customer in the space; he added that it will bring more business to OneWeb. Notably, the satcom company has partnered with ROSCOSMOS till now for its satellite launches. So far, it has launched 322 satellites in space.

Sunil Mittal has also said that in the next 4 days, the company has scheduled the launch for another 36 satellites.

He also made a great proclamation at the occasion, saying, "OneWeb will deliver connectivity to every square inch of the country". He said that the satcom company will work to start delivering connectivity next year.

Speaking at the inauguration of ISpA, Mittal said, "a space race has truly begun". He added that with the race heating up every day, "large, powerful companies" and "private sector" are "moving their agenda at a very fast race". Echoing the spokespeople before him, Mittal added that the space association was created at the behest of PM Modi. He said, "I’m delighted that PM has taken a timely step in supporting the industry".

This comes at a time when the Indian satcom industry has generated great interest from across the world. Companies like SpaceX have already sought "key partnerships" within India to roll out commercial services. The Mittal-led company, which also has the UK government as a stakeholder, has been working as a direct rival of SpaceX. So far, though, the company has not revealed any solid timelines for rollout.