OneWeb says it will have to cut workers amid economic crisis

Enlarge / A Soyuz rocket launches Saturday carrying nearly three dozen satellites into orbit. (credit: OneWeb)

On Saturday the global communications company OneWeb launched its second large batch of satellites into low-Earth orbit-the additional 34 spacecraft brought its overall constellation to 74 satellites. The launch occurred on a Soyuz rocket, which lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

After the launch, OneWeb Chief Executive Adrian Steckel sought to put the launch in the context of the global pandemic of Covid-19 by highlighting connectivity as an essential service.

"People around the world find themselves trying to continue their lives and work online," he said. "We see the need for OneWeb, greater now more than ever before. High-quality connectivity is the lifeline to enabling people to work, continue their education, stay up to date on important healthcare information and stay meaningfully connected to one another."

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