Eutelsat has expanded its order with Airbus for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, increasing the total to 440 units as it moves to strengthen and expand the OneWeb constellation following a recent capital raise.
The latest agreement, announced on Jan. 12, 2026, adds 340 satellites to an initial order of 100 placed in December 2024. Deliveries for the full batch are still expected to begin before the end of 2026, with production scheduled to start in early 2026, Airbus said.
Airbus and OneWeb originally formed a joint venture, Airbus OneWeb Satellites, in 2016 to manufacture satellites for OneWeb’s planned LEO megaconstellation. The venture built more than 600 satellites currently in orbit. Following Eutelsat’s acquisition of OneWeb in September 2023, Airbus acquired OneWeb’s stake in the manufacturing joint venture from Eutelsat in January 2024, bringing the production activity fully under Airbus’ control.
“We are pleased to rely on our long-standing partner, Airbus, for the procurement of these latest satellites,” Eutelsat Chief Executive Jean-François Fallacher said, adding that the new spacecraft would ensure service continuity for customers while benefiting from low-latency LEO capacity.
Airbus said the new satellites will feature technology upgrades designed to improve efficiency and operational flexibility. Manufacturing will take place at Airbus’ facility in Toulouse, France, using a newly installed production line. Previous OneWeb satellites were assembled at a facility in Merritt Island, Florida.
The expanded order represents Eutelsat’s first major industrial contract since completing a €1.5 billion capital increase, signalling an early deployment of the new funding toward fleet renewal and expansion. The investment supports Eutelsat’s broader LEO strategy, including its role in the European Union’s IRIS2 secure communications programme.
In October 2024, the European Commission awarded the IRIS2 contract to the SpaceRISE consortium, which includes Eutelsat alongside SES and Hispasat. The European Space Agency, which oversees implementation of the programme, said earlier this month that the project’s System Requirements Review had been completed by the end of 2025. ESA is now conducting a Service Review to define performance and operational parameters, with completion expected by the end of January.
For Airbus, the order reinforces its position as a key supplier of LEO satellite systems in Europe, while for Eutelsat it marks a step toward maintaining and expanding its LEO capacity as competition intensifies in the global satellite communications market.
