Airbus wins contract for 340 New OneWeb satellites as global race for LEO dominance intensifies

January 12, 2026 in Business, Communications, Companies, Technology & Telecoms by Editor

Airbus has secured a contract to build 340 new OneWeb satellites for Eutelsat as China files plans for more than 200,000 satellites and SpaceX expands Starlink, intensifying the global race for low Earth orbit dominance.

Airbus Defence and Space has secured a major contract from Eutelsat to manufacture 340 additional OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, expanding Europe’s role in the rapidly escalating global competition to dominate satellite broadband infrastructure. The award, announced in Paris on 12 January 2026, brings Eutelsat’s total orders from Airbus to 440 satellites following an earlier batch of 100 procured in 2024.

The satellites will be built on a newly installed production line at Airbus’s Toulouse facility, with deliveries expected to begin at the end of 2026. Airbus described the deal as a significant step in strengthening European sovereignty in LEO satellite manufacturing.

Eutelsat’s existing OneWeb network comprises over 600 satellites operating in 12 orbital planes at 1,200 km above Earth. The constellation delivers high-speed, low-latency internet globally, including to underserved regions across Africa and remote markets where terrestrial networks remain patchy or economically unviable.

The new satellites will replace the earliest spacecraft as they reach end-of-life while incorporating upgraded technology, including: advanced digital channelisers for improved onboard processing, enhanced efficiency and flexibility, optimised architecture for long-term performance, and hosted-payload capability, opening room for new commercial and government applications

Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher said the satellites will guarantee service continuity for a growing customer base benefiting from OneWeb’s low-latency coverage. Airbus’s Head of Space Systems, Alain Fauré, described the contract as confirmation of Airbus’s leadership in LEO satellite design and production.

China Files Plans for Over 200,000 Satellites in Sweeping Orbital Expansion

The Airbus–Eutelsat deal comes amid a dramatic surge in global competition for orbital and spectrum resources. Reporting by The Blueprint indicates that Chinese companies have filed proposals for more than 200,000 internet satellites with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), signalling Beijing’s intent to match or surpass US-based megaconstellations.

More than a dozen filings were submitted late last month, including the two largest proposals — CTC-1 and CTC-2, each targeting 96,714 satellites. Additional filings include China Mobile’s 2,520-satellite L1 system and the Shanghai Spacecom submissions for the Qianfan constellation. Larger projects such as Guowang (13,000 satellites) and Qianfan’s 15,000-satellite network continue to advance toward deployment milestones.

China’s accelerated filings follow complaints raised last year about congestion caused by SpaceX’s Starlink, which currently constitutes the majority of active satellites in LEO.

SpaceX Continues to Expand as Collision Concerns Grow

Starlink remains the dominant global operator. The US Federal Communications Commission last week approved 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, on top of a planned 42,000-satellite architecture already on SpaceX’s books.

The intense pace of deployment has amplified fears of orbital collisions. In December, a Starlink satellite malfunctioned and began an unplanned descent; earlier this month, SpaceX said it would lower the orbits of about 4,400 satellites to reduce collision risk.

Under ITU rules adopted in 2019, operators must deploy at least one satellite within seven years of filing, 10pc of their constellation within two years of launch, 50pc within five years, and 100pc within seven. With filings from the US, China, Europe, and emerging private operators surging, orbital pathways and radio frequencies are becoming scarce strategic assets.

The new OneWeb order strengthens Europe’s manufacturing base and positions Airbus as one of the few global players capable of mass-producing LEO satellites at competitive scale. For African governments and telecom operators exploring satellite-enabled rural connectivity, the stability of the OneWeb network offers an alternative to US- and China-led constellations.

As the world edges toward a future defined by tens of thousands — and soon hundreds of thousands — of satellites in low Earth orbit, decisions taken now will shape who dominates global broadband services, spectrum access, and space governance for decades.