SpaceX launches 40 rival satellites into orbit

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Photo by Spacex/Facebook.com

American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher and satellite communications corporation helped London-based OneWeb launch its mini satellites, after the company broke ties with Russia 

SpaceX successfully launched over 40 small satellites of its competitor, London-based OneWeb into orbit. According to a report by Associated Press, the launch took place on Thursday, December 8, after the SpaceX Falcon rocket took off with the satellites bound for polar orbit.  

OneWeb had previously halted all launches, which were being done with Russia, over the invasion of Ukraine, the report said. The British company broke ties with Russia in March, after over 13 batches of its satellites were carried by the Soyuz rockets.  

The most recent batch sent by SpaceX for OneWeb will help expand their satellite constellation to over 500, in comparison to Elon Musk’s starlink, which already has over 3,200 satellites in orbit. These satellites are being used to provide high-speed broadband internet services for remote parts of the world.  

Each of the OneWeb satellites, the report said, is the size of a washing machine, weighing 140 kilograms. The company also launched a batch of satellites through India in October and aside from the most recent, two more batches are scheduled to be launched by SpaceX and another one by India.  

With the launch of the latest satellites, OneWeb aims to increase its range through the entirety of the U.S, Europe, along with large parts of South America and Africa, the report added. The company presently provides internet services to Alaska, Canada and northern Europe.


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