Airbus to Build Satellites for Eutelsat

By Simon West

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 fleet 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.”

Transporting the Fleet

An Airbus spokesperson stated that the satellites would likely be shipped directly to their destination, as temporary storage is rarely used. “There is no standard or preferred way (of transporting cargo) – it indeed depends on the mission,” the spokesperson said.

“Intra-European transports can be done by road, for example for testing campaigns in Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands (usually science or environmental monitoring contracts involving the European Space Agency). With launches mostly happening across the Atlantic – whether in Florida, California or French Guiana – air freight is usually preferred to save time.”

Aircraft typically deployed by Airbus to transport oversized components include its own specialized wide-bodied Beluga-ST and the Antonov AN124.

Some very large spacecraft, such as the European Service Model (ESM) for the Orion spaceship, or very sensitive satellites such as the Aeolus satellite, have to be transported by sea, the spokesperson added. “Lighter satellites can be shipped as well, when time allows and to save costs.”


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