Starlink and OneWeb Post Large Numbers

Starlink and OneWeb satellites continue to be launched in large batches. During January-March alone, 369 Starlinks and 34 OneWebs were launched to low Earth orbits. In 2021, a total 989 Starlinks and 284 OneWebs went up. So far, these are the two “mega-constellation” programs that are leading the way to an era of cheap and ultra-fast Internet access for just about everybody on the planet. Thousands of Starlinks and hundreds or OneWebs will be launched over the next few years.

The next mega-constellation that will soon begin launching is Project Kuiper, a system of some 3,236 broadband communications satellites. This $10 billion program, owned by Mr. Bezos and Amazon, will launched its first two demonstration satellites, KuiperSat 1 and KuperSat 2, later this year. Amazon has recently awarded contracts to  Arianespace, Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance to launch Project Kuiper satellites aboard 83 rockets, including Ariane 6, New Glenns and Vulcans over the next five years.

It is these mega-constellations that will be providing a lifeline for several of the heavier launch vehicles. The traditional market (large, geostationary commercial satellites) for these size vehicles is not as robust as it used to be, so these mega-constellations of small satellites are key to maintaining to some degree of competition within the heavy-lift launch services industry, particularly given the dominance of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket these days. The mega-constellations will provide enough business for rocket programs to remain viable without forcing them to compete head-to-head with Falcon 9. While Falcon 9, because of its reusability, reliability and affordability, will continue feast, at least its theoretical competitors will not starve.