Holy crap we’re launching a rocket today!
So I know I don’t post much about myself but I’m an engineer for this company called Oneweb. It’s project is to provide internet to the whole world using a constellation of ~650 satellites in low earth orbit. They launched the first 6 satellites last February, but today they launch our first production batch!
34 satellites on one rocket. Then, in March, another 34. Roughly every month, we’ll put 34 more up. By the end of the year, there should be enough to provide service to the Arctic lattitudes, areas so remote it’s too expensive to run a cable out but so far north geocentric satellites are below the horizon. By the end of 2021, the whole constellation should be deployed and we can give internet acess to nearly everywhere. Need to provide cell service in central Ecuador? You no longer need to dig a miles-long trench through the rain forest to lay a glass cable, you can just build a tower with our antenna on top and connect that way. The cost for schools and libraries, or really anyone, in remote locations to get fast access to the internet is going plummet.
Anyways, I’m rambling because It m excited for this launch. It’s at 21:40 UTC, 4:40 US Eastern Time. If you want to see it there’s a livestream on Ariannespace’s YouTube (they’re the company that’s handling the rocket launch) that starts around 4:20 and I’ll also reblog this with the link to OneWeb’s stream when they set it up!
