This is one of the "spatial" consequences of the war in Ukraine.
All cooperation between Russia and Europe has been suspended sine die
(read our editions of February 28 and March 3).
The Russian Soyuz rocket has ceased its flights from Kourou, in Guyana, and from Baikonur (in Kazakhstan), but also in Russia on behalf of its European customers, won through its cooperation with Arianespace.
The OneWeb constellation has paid the price and has been without a launcher since the beginning of March.
In the absence of an available European solution - Ariane 6 must make its maiden flight in the second half of 2022 - OneWeb has purchased flights from the American SpaceX.
The Falcon 9, Elon Musk's reusable rocket, is the only one capable of completing the deployment of the constellation by the end of 2022, as initially planned.
What should have been Arianespace's mission with Soyuz, which has already deployed 428 of the constellation's 648 satellites.
See also
Russia's new space ambitions
This contract won easily by SpaceX is a blow for the European space sector.
But the decision of OneWeb comes from a group associating the United Kingdom (17.6% of the capital), which is no longer part of the European Union, and private groups, in particular the Indian Bharti (30%) and the French Eutelsat (23%).
However, the temptation of SpaceX is gaining ground in Germany, where the satellite manufacturer OHB is plotting for Europe to entrust Elon Musk with the next launches of Galileo, the European GPS!
This to the detriment of Ariane 6.
A betrayal
According to
Challenges
, which reveals this German lobbying operation, OHB is trying to convince Brussels to buy three Falcon 9 flights, to launch six Galileo satellites, then to turn to the German mini-launcher of RFA (Rocket Factory Augsburg), a subsidiary of HBO, starting in 2024.
This German attempt constitutes a betrayal of the commitments made within the framework of the European Space Agency to support the operation of Ariane 6 and to entrust it with institutional satellites such as Galileo.
After Berlin's decision to buy American F35 fighters, Germany stands out for its lack of European solidarity!