Virgin Galactic to launch 39 satellites

摘要

Virgin Galactic has signed a contract to perform 39 satellite launches for Oneweb, the company that wants to bring internet connectivity to every part of the globe. It makes up part of a planned 648 launches, thought to be one of the largest commercial procurements of launches in history. Virgin Galactic has also placed an additional agreement to provide OneWeb with options for up to 100 additional launches. The announcement coincides with declarations from OneWeb regarding $500m of new investment. The project is backed by world-class equity partners including Airbus Group, Intelsat, Qualcomm, The Coca-Cola Company and the Virgin Group. OneWeb wants to develop a global wireless communications and data system that will enable affordable broadband access anywhere in the world, including in areas currently not served by terrestrial providers.