OneWeb Satellites
OneWeb's satellite constellation is designed to operate in low Earth orbit (LEO), at an altitude of approximately 1,200 kilometers (750 miles). This positioning allows the satellites to provide lower latency compared to traditional geostationary satellites, making the network more efficient for internet services. The constellation is expected to consist of around 648 operational satellites, with additional spares in orbit to ensure network reliability.

The first batch of six OneWeb satellites was launched in February 2019 aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Guiana Space Center. These initial satellites were used to test and validate the system’s performance. Following the acquisition by the UK government and Bharti Global, OneWeb resumed its launches and continued to build its constellation.

OneWeb's satellites are designed to communicate with each other through inter-satellite links, which helps maintain network connectivity even if a ground station is not immediately accessible. End users will connect to the OneWeb network via small user terminals, which can be installed in various locations, including homes, businesses, and mobile platforms like ships and airplanes.

OneWeb Company
OneWeb is a communications company founded in 2012 by Greg Wyler, with the aim of developing a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide global internet coverage, especially in underserved and remote areas. Originally called "WorldVu," the company was later rebranded as OneWeb. Wyler, leveraging his experience in satellite communications, envisioned creating a satellite network capable of delivering internet access to almost any location on Earth.

In 2015, OneWeb attracted substantial investments from major companies such as Qualcomm, Virgin Group, and Coca-Cola. These funds enabled OneWeb to move forward with its ambitious satellite development plans. The company partnered with Airbus to manufacture the satellites, with production set up in Toulouse, France. Additionally, OneWeb collaborated with launch providers like Arianespace to deploy its satellites into space.

Despite early progress, OneWeb faced financial challenges due to the high costs associated with satellite deployment. In March 2020, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leading to a temporary halt in its operations. However, in November 2020, the UK government and Bharti Global acquired OneWeb, allowing the company to exit bankruptcy and resume its satellite launches. By the end of 2021, OneWeb had successfully deployed over 350 satellites as part of its constellation.

Photo courtesy of OneWeb.

Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond.

Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket.

Stats

Total launches: 393

Total landings: 349

Total reflights: 324

The Falcon 9 has launched 52 humans into orbit since May 2020

Specs

Height: 70 m / 229.6 ft

Diameter: 3.7 m / 12 ft

Mass: 549,054 kg / 1,207,920 lb

Payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO): 22,800 kg / 50,265 lb

Payload to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO): 8,300 kg / 18,300 lb

Payload to Mars: 4,020 kg / 8,860 lb

On January 24, 2021, Falcon 9 launched the first ride-share mission to Sun Synchronous Orbit. It was delivering a record-setting 143 satellites to space. And while this was an important mission for SpaceX in itself, it was also the moment Falcon 9 overtook United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V for the total number of consecutive successful launches.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 had become America’s workhorse rocket, launching 31 times in 2021. It has already beaten that record this year, launching almost an average of once a week. While most of the launches deliver Starlink satellites to orbit, the company is still launching the most commercial payloads to orbit, too.

Falcon 9 is a medium-lift launch vehicle, with the capability to launch over 22.8 metric tonnes to low earth orbit. Unlike any other rocket, its first stage lands back on Earth after separating from its second stage. In part, this allows SpaceX to offer the cheapest option for most customers with payloads that need to reach orbit.

Under its ride-share program, a kilogram can be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit for a mere 1.1 million dollars, far cheaper than all other currently operating small satellite launch vehicles.

The reusability and fast booster turnaround times have made Falcon 9 the preferred choice for private companies and government agencies. This has allowed SpaceX to capture a huge portion of the launch market.

Photo courtesy of Jenny Hautmann for Supercluster.

Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is a historic launch site located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Originally constructed in the late 1960s, LC-39A was designed to support the Apollo program, including the groundbreaking Apollo 11 mission that first landed humans on the Moon in 1969. The pad also played a crucial role in launching Skylab missions and was instrumental during the Space Shuttle era, including the launch of the first Space Shuttle, Columbia, on STS-1 in 1981.

In 2014, SpaceX leased LC-39A from NASA and undertook extensive refurbishments to adapt the pad for its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. These upgrades involved significant modifications to the pad's infrastructure to meet the requirements of SpaceX’s rockets. Since then, LC-39A has become a vital launch site for SpaceX, supporting a range of missions including crewed flights under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Under SpaceX's management, LC-39A has been the site of several landmark events. It hosted the first Falcon 9 launch from the pad on March 30, 2017, and was the launch site for the historic Falcon Heavy debut on February 6, 2018, which was the most powerful rocket in operation at that time. Additionally, LC-39A was the launch site for the first crewed flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft on May 30, 2020, marking the first crewed spaceflight from U.S. soil since the end of the Shuttle program.

Today, LC-39A remains a critical asset for SpaceX, supporting both crewed and uncrewed missions. It continues to serve as a launch site for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and is expected to play a central role in future missions, including those aimed at lunar exploration and beyond. The pad's rich history and ongoing significance highlight its importance in the broader context of space exploration.

Photo courtesy of Erik Kuna for Supercluster

LZ-1

Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) is an 86 meter wide circular landing pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and is one of two SpaceX booster landing pads at the Florida spaceport.

Built on former Launch Complex 13, LZ-1 was the site of SpaceX's first successful landing and recovery of a Falcon 9 on the ORBCOMM-2 mission in December 2015. Since then, it has hosted 16 landings.

The landing pad, as well as its twin, LZ-2 located a few dozen meters away, can support both single landings of a Falcon 9 or simultaneous landings of the two Falcon Heavy side boosters.

Photo: Jenny Hautmann for Supercluster