Eutelsat, a major European satellite operator, has ordered 229 additional satellites from Airbus to expand its OneWeb constellation, which provides global broadband internet from low Earth orbit. The announcement was made at the International Space Summit in Paris, where French Minister of Space Philippe Baptiste was present. Eutelsat also signed a significant contract with Airbus to enhance its OneWeb fleet and partnered with startup Skynopy to build a network of ground stations that will support satellite communications. The French government is now the largest shareholder in Eutelsat, highlighting the importance of this project to national space strategy. The OneWeb constellation, which will eventually include 669 satellites, is expanding rapidly. Airbus previously ordered 440 OneWeb satellites, but Eutelsat has now ordered an additional 229, bringing the total to 669. These satellites will be produced in Toulouse by Airbus Defence and Space, with production continuing without interruption. The new satellites will feature advanced digital transponders, which improve the efficiency and flexibility of onboard processing and allow for the integration of additional payloads, beyond their traditional Ku-band mission. Alain Fauré, head of space systems at Airbus Defence and Space, praised the "maturity of the product" and the "excellence of the supply chain" behind the project. Eutelsat aims to become the only European operator with a global satellite constellation in low Earth orbit, competing with companies like Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper. The first OneWeb satellites, launched as early as 2019, are nearing the end of their operational lifespan, and the new satellites will replace them. The company also plans to integrate the upcoming IRIS² constellation, a future European satellite network focused on providing sovereign connectivity. Arianespace, the European launch services provider, has been selected to carry out two dedicated launches for the OneWeb constellation between 2027 and 2028. The satellites will be launched using Ariane 64, the most powerful version of Europe’s heavy-lift rocket, which features four boosters. These launches will take place from the Guiana Space Center in South America. Arianespace previously launched 428 OneWeb satellites between 2019 and 2022 across 13 missions before a temporary pause in collaboration. The company has since resumed working with OneWeb and is also launching satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper. According to ArianeGroup, Ariane 6 is currently negotiating for ten additional launches with other customers. David Cavaillolès, CEO of Arianespace, emphasized that this new contract demonstrates the rocket’s ability to meet the demands of large low Earth orbit constellations, marking a step toward Europe’s independent access to space. This aligns with Eutelsat’s goal of strengthening Europe’s resilience and self-reliance in the space domain.