Airbus announced on Friday that it has delivered the first batch of 32 new-generation OneWeb satellites to Eutelsat. These satellites were manufactured in Toulouse, France, and are part of a larger plan to replace the existing OneWeb satellite fleet. Eutelsat expects to eventually deploy a total of 669 satellites, which will replace the current fleet launched starting in 2019. These older satellites are beginning to show signs of wear and will soon be phased out. The new satellites will be launched from the United States, despite being built in Europe. The OneWeb constellation currently consists of more than 600 satellites, spread across twelve orbital planes. These satellites operate in low Earth orbit (LEO), at an altitude of around 1,200 km—roughly thirty times closer than traditional geostationary satellites. This proximity allows for faster signal transmission, which is particularly valuable for Eutelsat's enterprise, government, and institutional clients. However, the oldest satellites in the fleet are nearing the end of their service life, and their replacements will not only replace them but also integrate into terrestrial 5G networks. Eutelsat has received a series of orders for new satellites, including 100 by the end of 2024, 340 in January of last year, and an additional 229 approved in September. The total cost of these new satellites is estimated at one billion euros. Airbus is shifting its satellite production back to Europe, but the launch of the satellites will still take place in the United States. Previously, the OneWeb satellites were mainly assembled in Florida, in a factory jointly owned by Airbus and OneWeb. Eutelsat acquired OneWeb in 2023 and later sold it to Airbus in early 2024. Airbus then moved the mass production back to Toulouse on a brand new assembly line. Alain Fauré, director of Airbus Space Systems, stated that this delivery "symbolizes our industrial relocation" and confirms that Airbus can deliver satellites "in large numbers and at a sustained pace." This development strengthens Airbus's position in the market for satellite constellations—swarms of satellites that operate in a network, a trend driven by companies like Starlink and Amazon Leo. The new OneWeb satellites will likely be launched using a rocket from SpaceX, as the company's press release did not name the launcher. The Ariane 6 rocket, which is expected to be operational in 2027 and 2028, will be used for future launches. These new satellites are also designed to be compatible with the future European constellation IRIS², ensuring connectivity until the first services of IRIS² are available in 2029. According to Jean-François Fallacher, CEO of Eutelsat, this marks "Europe's ability to build and maintain a global LEO capacity."