Eutelsat has ordered 229 additional OneWeb low-Earth orbit satellites from Airbus Defence and Space and signed an authorisation to proceed for initial industrial work at the International Space Summit in Paris. The deal lifts the total number of new Airbus-built OneWeb satellites to 669 and is aimed at maintaining service continuity while the operator expands capacity through 2034.
The new spacecraft add to 440 satellites already procured from Airbus, with the first units from that earlier batch due for delivery next quarter. Eutelsat placed the latest order as part of an estimated €1 billion investment and said the procurement fits within its financial framework without changing its capital expenditure plan through fiscal 2029.
Airbus will build the satellites in Toulouse, supporting production continuity for the programme. The replenishment plan sits alongside Eutelsat’s wider LEO roadmap for IRIS², the European sovereign connectivity project, which is expected to enter service around the middle of 2032. Reuters also reported that Eutelsat has secured two Ariane 64 launch missions for 2027 and 2028 to support deployment.