Eutelsat Taps MaiaSpace for OneWeb Satellites

Eutelsat agrees to a multi-launch contract with MaiaSpace to launch replenishment. The replenishment of the OneWeb satellite will commence in 2027.

Eutelsat has signed a multi-launch partnership with French launcher startup MaiaSpace to launch OneWeb auxiliary satellites, boosting European space business participation. The launches will start at least in 2027 with the small launch vehicle under development at MaiaSpace.

Although monetary conditions and volume of launching were not stated, MaiaSpace published a picture of 19 OneWeb satellites on the upper stage. The company added the deal confirms its ability to serve high-capacity constellations of satellite broadband.

According to Eutelsat executives, the partnership is a wider program to diversify the launch service providers and cushion service continuity. With the replenishment stage in the history of OneWeb, the flexibility of the launching is also taking center stage in the space strategy of the organization.

Eutelsat ordered 100 replenishment satellites in December 2024 and another 340 in January. The satellites are being developed by Airbus Defence and Space, although the technical specifications are not publicly available.

Another factor that has been brought out by the accord is the increasing competition in the European space launch market, where the reusable systems are increasingly on the rise. A spin-off of ArianeGroup, MaiaSpace is currently building what it claims to be the first reusable small launcher in Europe.

MaiaSpace, with European Space Agency support, intends to minimize the dependence of the European space suppliers and increase regional launches later in this decade.