{"id":10647,"date":"2022-03-02T21:49:35","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T13:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/russia-issues-ultimatum-to-uk-government-over-oneweb-launch\/"},"modified":"2022-03-02T21:49:35","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T13:49:35","slug":"russia-issues-ultimatum-to-uk-government-over-oneweb-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/russia-issues-ultimatum-to-uk-government-over-oneweb-launch\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia issues ultimatum to UK government over OneWeb launch"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Soyuz rocket\u2019s payload fairing containing OneWeb\u2019s next 36 satellites. Credit: Roscosmos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Russia\u2019s space agency said Wednesday it will not launch a batch of 36 OneWeb satellites this week unless the UK government gives up its stake in the satellite internet company, a prospect the UK business secretary later confirmed won\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

A Russian Soyuz rocket rolled to its launch pad Wednesday at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, moving into position for a launch Friday. But hours later, the head of Russia\u2019s space agency issued an ultimatum to OneWeb and the UK government, one of the company\u2019s largest shareholders.<\/p>\n

Dmitry Rogozin, who has made numerous incendiary statements since Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, said it would not proceed with the launch Friday unless OneWeb guarantees its satellites won\u2019t be used for military purposes and the UK government withdraws as a shareholder in the company.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of Britain\u2019s hostile stance against Russia, another condition for the (OneWeb) launch is that the British government withdraws from OneWeb,\u201d the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The ultimatum drew a quick response from Kwasi Karteng, the UK business and energy secretary.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no negotiation on OneWeb: the UK government is not selling its share,\u201d Karteng tweeted. \u201cWe are in touch with other shareholders to discuss next steps.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK. I give you two days to think,\u201d Rogozin responded. \u201c(If) there will be no guarantees of non-military use of the system \u2013 there will be no system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rogozin said the Soyuz rocket will be removed from the launch pad if Russia doesn\u2019t get the assurances it wants from OneWeb by 9:30 p.m. Moscow time (1830 GMT; 1:30 p.m. EST) Friday, when managers need to decide whether to fuel the launch vehicle.<\/p>\n

Chris McLaughlin, OneWeb\u2019s chief of government, regulatory, and engagement, said the company\u2019s employees are no longer onsite at Baikonur.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe await a response from our shareholders,\u201d he wrote in an email to Spaceflight Now, referring to the UK business secretary\u2019s earlier statement that the British government won\u2019t be selling its shares in OneWeb.<\/p>\n

OneWeb has launched 428 of its planned 648 satellites on Soyuz rockets from spaceports in Kazakhstan, Russia, and French Guiana. The company is building out a network to provide high-speed, low-latency internet services worldwide.<\/p>\n

The partially-complete network can provide broadband connectivity across high latitude regions \u2014 such as Alaska, Canada, and northern Europe \u2014 but doesn\u2019t yet offer uninterrupted global reach. OneWeb says its network can connect schools, hospitals, and rural communities.<\/p>\n

Last year, OneWeb announced agreements to provide connectivity to U.S. and European military users.<\/p>\n

Peraton, a military contractor, said it will partner with OneWeb offer communications services to the U.S. Defense Department, with connectivity for military forces operating in remote, hard-to-reach regions. OneWeb also announced an agreement with Airbus in December to provide services to the UK military, along with other European defense and security forces.<\/p>\n

\u201cOneWeb\u2019s network supports air, land, sea, and space communications for government networks and missions demanding rapid deployability; military-grade network security; flexibility, and the ability to scale,\u201d the company says on its website.<\/p>\n

Later Wednesday, Rogozin tweeted a video showing Russian crews at Baikonur installing 3M adhesive panels over the British, Japanese, and U.S. flags on the payload fairing of the Soyuz rocket. The video did not show the team covering Indian, French, and South Korean flags on the rocket.<\/p>\n

The flags were added to the payload shroud to represent the home countries of the major partners in the OneWeb program.<\/p>\n