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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