Biggest space contract ever...between France and Russia
News of two days ago .... ( sorry, not much Middle-East related- but I didn't start this thread anyway)
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Russia's Roscosmos Federal Space Agency secured a contract with France's Arianespace and British OneWeb global broadband Internet service to launch 672 satellites between 2017 and 2019
The OneWeb satellites will be able to provide broadband fiber-quality Internet to the entire world, and in particular to residents of rural areas without broadband Internet, according to Arianespace. The satellites will be launched using 21 Soyuz rockets, with an option for five more launched after the contract is complete for the purpose of replenishing old satellites.
"This contract is the biggest in the history of providing launch services. And the choice of Soyuz carrier rockets is evidence of the high competitiveness of Russian space launch technology," Roscosmos head Igor Komarov said.
The project provides for 21 space launches, with an option for five more if the contract is prolonged for another year afterwards. Arianespace praised the Soyuz carrier rockets for their ability to launch satellites into the polar orbit necessary for providing the service.
The launches are planned to take place at the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan, at Russia's new Vostochnyy cosmodrome and at the French Guyana Space Centre. Soyuz rockets will be built at Samara, Russia, as they have been for the past 40 years (1700+ built)