The Falcon rocket blasted off at sunset with 40 mini satellites bound for polar orbit. They will expand OneWeb's constellation to just over 500, nearly 80% of the planned total of about 630 satellites.
With the market for global internet service"growing exponentially," there's room for everyone, said Massimiliano Ladovaz, OneWeb's chief technology officer. Two more SpaceX launches and one more by India are planned for OneWeb in the next several months to complete the company's orbiting constellation by spring. OneWeb already is providing internet service in Alaska, Canada and northern Europe; the newest satellites will increase the range to the entire U.S. and Europe, as well as large parts of Africa and South America, and elsewhere, according to Ladovaz.