What does OneWeb bankruptcy mean for Russia

March 28 2020 28

The coronavirus pandemic reached space. OneWeb, one of the most promising startups of recent times, announced the start of bankruptcy proceedings. The telecommunications company planned to create a large-scale satellite constellation in orbit, which was supposed to provide broadband Internet access to the planet’s population.

What will happen to the satellites already launched, and how will the situation affect Roscosmos, which has contracted to be a cab to deliver satellites to orbit?

OneWeb planned to create a constellation of more than 600 satellites, which were supposed to give access to broadband Internet to hundreds of millions of new users, for various reasons deprived of such an opportunity. The company is registered in the UK, among the project participants such serious players as Airbus Group, Bharti Enterprise, Virgin Group, The Coca-Cola Company, Intelsat and several others.

However, this did not help her. Due to instability in the financial markets, the startup management was not able to obtain additional financing in the amount of $ 2 billion from the Japanese bank SoftBank. This crippled an ambitious project. New York State Court filed for bankruptcy.

A logical question arises, what will happen next?

In the event of bankruptcy, more than 500 highly skilled employees of a satellite manufacturing plant in Florida will end up on the street. All satellites were developed by Airbus, with an average life of 5 years. Only a small staff of 70 people will be left to serve.

Shortly before the financial catastrophe, OneWeb managed to launch only 74 spacecraft into orbit. For this, she used the services of Roscosmos, which at a time from Baikonur launched batches of 30-36 satellites. The contract worth $ 1 billion with the state corporation was signed in 2015. At the moment, it is approximately 10% complete.

For the leadership of "Roskosmos" is not very good newsbecause the corporation is losing a major customer. However, it is suggested that the bankruptcy of OneWeb does not necessarily mean the complete death of the project. After stabilizing the situation in the financial markets and taking control of the coronavirus pandemic, there may be large investors who will be able to buy the company at a large discount and resume startups.

However, even this optimistic scenario means a significant delay in implementation and financial losses of Roskosmos.

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Observer2014

0

28 March 2020 14: 10

As a fan of the global conspiracy, I cannot but note that if this infection had not existed, then it had to be invented.

The telecommunications company planned to create a large-scale satellite constellation in orbit, which was supposed to provide broadband Internet access to the planet’s population.
GRF

+6

28 March 2020 14: 10

I re-read the article a couple of times, but, apparently, I’m just not able to understand the whole depth of the tragedy of the bankruptcy of a British company for Russia ...
1. Ivan Ivanov_18
  
  +6
  
  28 March 2020 14: 14
  
  You are stout man.
  1. GRF
    
    +5
    
    28 March 2020 14: 22
    
    The Japanese refused, putting an end to the project, and not me ...
    1. Ivan Ivanov_18
      
      +1
      
      28 March 2020 14: 27
      
      And sympathize?
      If you add a certain Igor Pavlovich
      
      Jews were always to blame for all the troubles of the USSR, Ukrainians were to blame for all the troubles of present-day Russia (according to Neukropny).
      
      - And at the GRF, the Japanese are to blame for the troubles of the islanders.
2. 123
  
  +5
  
  28 March 2020 14: 35
  
  I re-read the article a couple of times, but I’m just not able to understand the whole depth of the tragedy of the bankruptcy of a British company for Russia ...
  
  What's so incomprehensible? The company is an English company, European shareholders, a factory and American laid-off workers. The bank that has ceased to give money to these Okhlamons is Japanese. So who will feel bad? That's right, Russia and Rogozin personally. Why? But because the crisis will pass, the money will be printed on its own, the plant will be restored, the Japanese will be ripe, working times will be spent in suspended animation, and it should be bad for Russia, and even more so for Rogozin, because he is not Musk.
  1. Ivan Ivanov_18
    
    +2
    
    28 March 2020 15: 09
    
    That's it. And the men didn’t know.
    1. 123
      
      +3
      
      28 March 2020 15: 12
      
      How would they know? They do not read the correct newspapers, in one word - "savages".
      1. The comment was deleted.
        
        The comment was deleted.
        
        The comment was deleted.
3. monman
  
  -1
  
  28 March 2020 18: 58
  
  I translate Sergey’s article from Russian into Russian:
  
  In a year and a half (600 pcs), the satellites should be in orbit, and almost all of them will be delivered there by Soyuz rockets. For this, OneWeb agreed with the French launch operator Arianespace, which concluded a contract with Roskosmos. The first six satellites launched into orbit in February 2019 from the Kourou Cosmodrome in French Guiana, and another 34 from February, from Baikonur. OneWeb now plans to launch about once a month.
  
  Those. the most important point is the launches once a month in the Union. Sergey (the author) wrote everything correctly, but missed the most important thing: if with one rocket 1 satellites, but only 34, then Roskosmos lost it. But only from launches. Residents of Russia have not lost anything as users. Rosnadzor will not allow using their Internet system, as observes the purity of morals and declares that the Russians will have only the Russian system. When? God knows ...
  1. isofat
    
    +3
    
    28 March 2020 20: 29
    
    Quote: cmonman
    ... then Roskosmos lost it.
    
    monmanDo not worry about Roskosmos, he’ll catch up! You still fly to the moon, to Mars. Roscosmos will not be left without orders, we will deliver in the best possible way!
  2. 123
    
    +3
    
    29 March 2020 12: 46
    
    Those. the most important point is the launches once a month in the Union. Sergey (the author) wrote everything correctly, but missed the most important thing: if with one rocket 1 satellites, but only 34, then Roskosmos lost it. But only from launches.
    
    Sergei has a peculiar Russian language, but we have already adapted, we ourselves have learned to translate.
    There will be fewer space launches, of course, but the terms of the contract are interesting. But they are not in the article. Fly into space - not a taxi ride, called the car and drove, did not want to - made a cancellation. The number of launches is agreed upon in advance; rockets are built under them. Certainly, the conditions for the refusal to launch one of the parties, material compensation for this case, insurance, and so on were agreed. But due to the lack of information, there is nothing to discuss.
    
    Residents of Russia have not lost anything as users. Rosnadzor will not allow using their Internet system, as observes the purity of morals and declares that the Russians will have only the Russian system. When? God knows ...
    
    I think so, besides Rosnadzor, Shoigu also observes the purity of our sky. Better let our guidance system work there. In general, thanks for the care, but somehow we ourselves.
    By the way, how about providing the US with the Internet through the Russian system? Since they closed their program .....
    1. T. Hanks
      
      -3
      
      29 March 2020 14: 18
      
      I remember that last year they rubbed their hands, mocked Ukrainians. Like, Khan them. But December came, and it turned out that it was Khan. No money, no pipe. It seems to me that with this contract again Russia will be the losers. And she (Russia) will pay a penalty for non-produced and non-derived satellites. And Rogozin will receive the order.
    2. monman
      
      -1
      
      29 March 2020 16: 43
      
      By the way, how about providing the US with the Internet through the Russian system? Since they closed their program .....
      
      123, do not embarrass me, please, with the phrase “... have closed their program ....”
      I honestly don’t understand what I mean. Anyone with us can have internet via tel. a line, plate or cable, and the devil knows that, but not everyone has a computer or iphone. And there are many of them - without a computer and / or iphone, many poor.
      1. 123
        
        0
        
        29 March 2020 17: 00
        
        I honestly don’t understand what I mean. Anyone with us can have internet via tel. a line, plate or cable, and the devil knows that, but not everyone has a computer or iphone
        
        With this we are fine, problems with the Internet can only be in remote areas.
        
        monman
        
        -1
        
        29 March 2020 17: 21
        
        If all the inhabitants of the country can afford to have a computer - happy for you. We will not have this soon ...
        
        123
        
        +1
        
        29 March 2020 17: 44
        
        If all the inhabitants of the country can afford to have a computer - happy for you. We will not have this soon ..
        
        C'mon, is this a problem nowadays? Now without a computer it’s tight, everything works through the Internet. But Google is quirking, a warning appeared, from the 31st of the new rules of use.
        
        https://policies.google.com/terms/update?utm_source=hpp&utm_medium=
        
        there is an interesting phrase in the text:
        
        Many of our services allow you to interact with other people. We try to maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect, therefore we demand to adhere to the following rules of behavior:
        Comply with applicable laws, including sanctions, as well as export control and trafficking laws;
        
        In addition, Google, it turns out, now has the right to ... in general, here is the extract from the license:
        
        Law
        This license entitles Google to the following actions ..............
        modify your content or create derivative works based on it, for example, translate into another language or in another format; .............
        transfer these rights through sublicense
        
        In general, I understood it this way: everything that was posted on the Internet is now at Google’s full disposal, and the requirement to comply with sanctions is generally an attempt to extend its legislation to someone else’s territory. We are required to comply with the law, including sanctions. I think we will soon find out a lot of news from the correspondence between supervisory organizations and this "wonderful company".
        If this goes on, maybe we will soon see the division of the Internet into segments. So write, chat with people, while there is an opportunity.
  3. Oyo Sarkazmi
    
    +1
    
    30 March 2020 13: 37
    
    Quote: cmonman
    Rosnadzor will not allow using their Internet system, as observes the purity of morals
    
    One trouble, and VanWeb, and Starlink, above ± 50 ° in latitude, in principle, do not fly. That is, north of Voronezh - you have no internet. Rostelecom will have to pull non-kosher optics to Yamal and Chukotka.
    OneWeb was fundamentally in transit - British jurisdiction. Musk is smarter, immediately mowed down for the US military. They will contain it, as before - the failed Iridium.
Marzhecki

-1

29 March 2020 07: 27

Quote: cmonman
But only from launches. Residents of Russia have not lost anything as users. Rosnadzor will not allow using their Internet system, as observes the purity of morals and declares that the Russians will have only the Russian system. When? God knows.

Who asked us at all?
1. 123
  
  0
  
  29 March 2020 12: 48
  
  Who asked us at all?
  
  Is it worth it? What useful advice?
Alexander Poploukhin

+1

29 March 2020 09: 12

OneWeb bankruptcy and the coronavirus pandemic are not related to each other, despite the fact that they occurred at the same time. OneWeb had financial difficulties before the coronavirus. With the advent of StarLink, problems only got worse, because Starlink brought out more satellites in a few months than StarLink in a few years.
1. monman
  
  0
  
  29 March 2020 17: 45
  
  OneWeb had financial difficulties before the coronavirus.
  
  That's right when you compare the cost.
  A StarLink satellite costs $ 250 thousand and a launch of $ 15 million, OneWeb satellite costs $ 1 million and a launch is much more expensive. But here the fun begins - the cost of the receiver and the cost of the subscription. Musk said that the subscription will be free, but it will not work.
  
  ... This means that in general Starlink can start a subscription of $ 80 per month, plus an additional $ 100-300 dollars for installation costs, including the receiver.
  
  If the OneWeb subscription / receiver is cheaper, you can get out, if not, then chapter 11, bankruptcy.
gorenina91

-1

29 March 2020 12: 02

- Yes, personally, it seems to me that Rogozin is so unprofessional and so inappropriate for his post that he is quite satisfied with the fact that Russia will make as few launches of its missiles as possible (especially with imported satellites) ... - thus it will decrease the possible number of start-up accidents (failures, start transfers, etc.) ... - and Rogozin will have less responsibility for all this and do something to correct situations, identify the causes, etc. ... - One in a word ... - Rogozin will have a more "quieter life" ... - And the fact that Russia (and first of all Roscosmos) will lose profit for all such unprovided services, then Rogozin just doesn't care ... - the main thing that the main responsibility has been removed from him ... - after all, OneWeb itself went bankrupt, and he is not at all in business ...
1. mor7d
  
  -2
  
  April 3 2020 15: 50
  
  Rogozin is so unprofessional
  
  He is a great master of life, pretending to grab God by the beard. I wonder where it comes from, is he a relative of Putin?
Aleksandr2020

+2

30 March 2020 04: 22

Merla died so ...
And well, all this global Internet is dual-use technology, the main task is to launch missiles, drones ... in short, military navigation.
Mask's satellites are the same, they’re even worse ... it’s generally a Pentagon project, under the plausible pretext of providing everyone with the Internet.
Here is another quack would fly.
1. mor7d
  
  -2
  
  April 3 2020 15: 48
  
  ... these are dual-use technologies
  
  If so, then the second appointment will pay.
Marzhecki

-1

April 1 2020 09: 12

Quote: 123
Sergei has a peculiar Russian language, but we have already adapted, we ourselves have learned to translate.

It’s a pity that the rules do not allow you to publicly send you to where you belong.
1. 123
  
  +3
  
  April 1 2020 11: 31
  
  It’s a pity the rules do not allow you to publicly send you to where you belong
  
  I'm afraid this is a problem the place is already taken, the two of us will not fit.
  By the way, why are you philonite? Are you in isolation? There Stockholm, it seems, awarded 1,5 billion to the Poles, the article has been hanging on "inosmi" for a long time, and no one tells us fairy tales about effective managers.
The comment was deleted.
mor7d

-2

April 3 2020 15: 46

A logical question arises, what will happen next?

Most likely, when everything is over, investors will again roll up money and everything will be fine.