SpaceX launches OneWeb 20 mission

Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A set of satellites for the European internet provider EutelsatOneWeb were successfully launched by SpaceX late Saturday night.

The satellites were launched by a Falcon 9 rocket from SLC-4Eat the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California around 10:13 p.m. local time. The rocket's first-stage booster landed on a landing pad about eight minutes after the launch.

"Deployment of OneWeb satellites complete," SpaceX said on social media after the launch.

The firm Eutelsat OneWeb, founded from the merger of Eutelsat and OneWeb in 2023, is headquartered in London and is a subsidiary of the French satellite internet giant Eutelsat Group.

After the launch, Eutelsat Group chief executive Eva Berneke said the company was "delighted" to have successfully contacted each of the 20 satellites.

"We are delighted to see the successful launch and deployment of new OneWeb satellites. These satellites will strengthen our network services, improving overall performance for our customers," Bernekesaid.

"As we celebrate the anniversary of the merger with Eutelsatand OneWeb, we are excited by the growing demand for our multi-orbit services and we remain committed to delivering value for our customers and shareholders."

The company is now believed to have nearly 700 functional satellites in its constellation, after a previous OneWeb launch with SpaceX in May 2023 -- before its Eutelsat merger.