Explained| The partnership between OneWeb and NewSpace India, ISRO’s commercial arm

So far, ISRO has earned $279 million in foreign exchange by launching satellites for global clients through its commercial arm.

The story so far: Satellite communications company OneWeb on Tuesday announced the arrival of 36 satellites at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota for its joint venture with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

With the next launch, OneWeb will have placed 70% of its planned number ofGen 1 low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites in orbit as part of its high-speed global broadband programme.

The launch of the next round of OneWeb satellites will be the company’s 14th overall and the satellites will be carried onboard GSLV-Mk III, ISRO’s heaviest rocket. One additional launch will take place this year, while three more are planned for early next year to complete the satellite constellation and achieve the setting up of a global broadband internet service by the end of 2023. The company’s services are already available in Alaska, Canada, the U.K., and the Arctic region.

In October 2021, OneWeb had signed a letter of intent (LoI) with NSIL as one of the potential platforms to launch its satellites.

India’s Bharti Enterprises, which owns Bharti Airtel, is a major investor and shareholder in OneWeb. Earlier in 2022, Bharti Enterprises announced a joint venture with Hughes Communications India Private Ltd. (HCIPL), to provide satellite broadband services in India. OneWeb aims to help in bridging the digital divide in India.

Radhakrishnan Durairaj, chairman and managing director of NSIL, called the partnership with OneWeb a “historic moment” for NSIL and ISRO. “We are excited to see the arrival of the satellites and the ground support equipment in India in preparation for the launch. Teams at NSIL/ISRO are sincerely working towards providing the best of the launch service solutions and support for OneWeb satellites,” he was quoted as saying.

“We are proud of our ability to adapt and remain on track to deliver global connectivity in the hardest-to-reach places. With many thanks to our top-of-the-line partners ISRO and NSIL, as well as our shareholder Bharti Global for their continued stewardship, we were able to facilitate this upcoming pioneering launch in Sriharikota, India,” said Neil Materson, CEO of OneWeb.