An innovative new space network goes into orbit on Monday. O3b will put a series of satellites 8,000km above the Earth to provide communications to those parts of the world that have poor fibre optic infrastructure. With backing from blue chip companies such as Google, O3b believes its novel system can change the broadband experience for millions of people. The network's first four satellites will launch from French Guiana. Read more
O3b Satellites to Launch Broadband Speed to Billions of Under-Connected People across the World
O3b Networks, the worlds first fibre-speed, satellite network is launching its first four satellites in to orbit today. What started as a visionary idea six years ago in the jungles of Rwanda to solve the challenge of limited affordable international connectivity, has become a state of the art satellite network providing billions of people across Africa, Latin America, The Middle East, Asia and The Pacific access to fast and affordable internet for the first time. Read more
The O3b satellites of Jersey, Channel Islands based O3b Networks Limited will offer low latency Internet backhaul to emerging markets and developing countries worldwide at speeds up to 10 Gbps with a combined total capacity in excess of 160 Gbps. Read more
The Launch Readiness Review (RAL) took place in Kourou on Saturday June 22, 2013 and authorised count-down operations for the Soyuz - O3b launch.
For the fifth Soyuz launch from the Guiana Space Centre, Arianespace will orbit the first four satellites in the O3b constellation. These satellites are built by Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor. With Soyuz, Ariane 5 and Vega all operating from the Guiana Space Centre, Arianespace is the only launch services provider in the world capable of launching all payloads into all orbits, from the largest to the smallest geostationary satellite, as well as clusters of satellites for constellations and missions to support the International Space Station (ISS). The launch will be performed from the Soyuz launch site (ELS) in Kourou, French Guiana.
Liftoff is scheduled for Monday, June, 2013 at exactly: 15:53:51 local time in French Guiana 14:53:51 in Washington, D.C. 18:53:51 UTC 20:53:51 in Paris 22:53:51 in Moscow.
An Arianespace Soyuz 2-1b rocket is scheduled to launch four O3b satellites at exactly 18:53:51 UT, 24th June, 2013, from the Guiana Space Launch Centre.
Checkout is underway with O3b Networks' four satellites to be orbited on the next Arianespace Soyuz launch
The first four satellites to serve O3b Networks in providing emerging market connectivity worldwide have entered their checkout phase at the Spaceport, readying them for a June flight on Arianespace's fifth mission from French Guiana with its medium-lift Soyuz launcher. These satellites are now inside the Spaceport's S1A clean room facility, and have been removed from the shipping containers that protected them during a trans-Atlantic cargo jetliner flight from Europe to the equatorial launch site. Read more
Thales Alenia Space to build four more satellites for O3b constellation
Thales Alenia Space announced today that it had signed a contract with O3b Networks Limited to deliver four more satellites for their Medium Earth Orbit constellation. These satellites are in addition to the eight already ordered from Thales Alenia Space. The first group of eight satellites successfully passed their Critical Design Review in May of this year and the system is on track for an initial launch in the first quarter of 2013, with service expected to start in the second quarter of that year. Read more