Airbus to Build Satellites for Eutelsat

Airbus has been awarded a contract by Eutelsat to build 100 small satellites for the French satellite operator’s OneWeb constellation extension, with delivery expected to start at the end of 2026.

OneWeb, acquired by Eutelsat in 2023, operates a network of hundreds of small satellites that orbit close to Earth. The network aims to provide high-speed global internet connectivity to remote and hard-to-reach areas.

Airbus produced more than 600 satellites for the OneWeb first-generation constellation.

For the latest contract, Airbus, Europe’s largest aeronautics and space company, said all 100 satellites would be built at its production site in Toulouse. The new satellites will support 5G on-ground integration and ensure compatibility with Europe’s IRIS2 multi-orbit constellation, set to launch in 2030, where Eutelsat will play a key role, Airbus added.

“Airbus manufactured all of the current OneWeb satellite fleet,” said Alain Fauré, head of space systems at Airbus Defence and Space. “We are committed to the successful continuation of the OneWeb constellation and to keep serving the business of Eutelsat as we have done over the past decades.”


Airbus Beluga Transport (AiBT), a subsidiary of Airbus, is an exhibitor at Breakbulk Europe.