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U.K. Launches First Satellites With New Space Partner India

  • OneWeb system will compete with Elon Musk on space broadband
  • U.K. pressed on with OneWeb bailout in face of skepticism
The OneWeb launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia, Dec. 18.

The OneWeb launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia, Dec. 18.

Source: OneWeb

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Britain’s post-Brexit space ambitions took flight on Friday with the launch of 36 satellites for the partly state-owned OneWeb network that’s competing with Elon Musk to offer broadband internet from space.

The launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia is the first for OneWeb since the U.K. bailed out the startup with the help of Indian billionaire Sunil Mittal. Their $1 billion investment gives the two partners a stake in one of the hottest, and riskiest, areas of space investment -- low-earth orbit communications.