First batch of satellites built on Space Coast ready to launch from Kazakhstan

The first batch of OneWeb satellites manufactured on Florida’s Space Coast is set to launch Thursday from Kazakhstan.

The satellites will be part of a larger global constellation of more than 600 satellites that will bring broadband internet to everyone, everywhere around the world.

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This first batch of satellites, which totals 34 in all, will launch aboard a Soyuz rocket. They’ll join a handful of others launched by the company in 2019.

Having the satellites built locally is a “big deal for the local economy,” said Dr. Ken Kremer, with Space UpClose

“There are about 250 people here employed, building these satellites,” Kremer said. “They’re almost working seven days a week to continue building.”

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The first customers are expected to have internet access through the satellite constellation by the end of the year, with full access anticipated in in 2021.

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