The Ukraine conflict is starting to disrupt progress on the OneWeb internet satellite system, a rival to SpaceX's Starlink.
On Wednesday, Russia's space program, Roscosmos, threatened to cancel a Friday launch of 36 OneWeb satellites using a Soyuz-2.1b rocket unless the UK government sells its stake in the company. To continue with the launch, Russia is also requiring OneWeb to guarantee that none of the satellites will be used for military purposes.
The demands are extraordinary since Roscosmos has already helped OneWeb launch 428 internet satellites into orbit. However, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin claims he recently received information that OneWeb has been in negotiations with a US customer that also works as defense contractor for the Pentagon.
In a press conference, Rogozin said he doubts OneWeb’s satellite internet system will be used purely for civilian purposes, pointing to the UK’s recent sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine. “Because of Britain's hostile stance against Russia, another condition for the March 5 launch is that the British government withdraws from OneWeb,” Roscosmos added in a tweet.
OneWeb didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. However, UK Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said on Twitter that his government has no plans to sell its stake in OneWeb, which is estimated to be at 45%. “We are in touch with other shareholders to discuss next steps,” Kwarteng added.
The news comes as the Ukraine conflict is also threatening to derail a European-Russian space mission to explore Mars, which was scheduled to launch in September. The European Space Agency says a 2022 launch for the ExoMars program is now "very unlikely" after it imposed sanctions on Russia.
OneWeb has currently launched 428 of 648 satellites for its internet system. However, OneWeb’s broadband service is focused on serving enterprise and government customers, unlike SpaceX’s Starlink, which is targeting both consumers and corporate clients.
Ironically, Roscosmos's refusal to work with OneWeb may mean it'll have to tap SpaceX's rockets to finish the company's satellite internet network.