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£18m funding for OneWeb global broadband satellite constellation

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The UK Space Agency has awarded £18m of European Space Agency (ESA) funding to OneWeb, a satellite startup that plans to use hundreds of satellites to provide broadband connectivity to every corner of the globe.

The company, which was founded in the US but is now registered in the UK, expects to employ up to 200 staff at it's offices in White City, London. Working in partnership with Airbus it has already set up assembly lines in France and the US.

According to a statement from the UK Space Agency, the investment will see the group focus on technologies for the next generation of satellite payloads, ground connections and space debris removal. It will also support novel automation techniques and artificial intelligence to manage the proposed constellation of spacecraft and its interaction with terrestrial networks to realise global 5G connectivity.

OneWeb CEO Adrian Steckel said: “We are excited about the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to develop novel automation techniques that could help manage our constellation in future and ensure we do so safely and responsibly so that we can protect space for future generations.

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