OneSat Novacom I
OneSat Novacom I is an ESA Partnership Project to support the development of a new product line for the commercial geostationary telecommunications market. As well as offering traditional services such as TV broadcasting, OneSat Novacom I satellites will revolutionise in-flight connectivity for passengers on board planes, and bridge the digital divide by connecting communities in remote areas.
Fully reconfigurable, software-defined and completely standardised, the satellites are being developed and validated under the OneSat Novacom I Partnership Project between ESA and satellite manufacturer Airbus and suppliers from eight ESA Member States, in collaboration with the French Space Agency, CNES.
OneSat Novacom I is designed to meet the highest standards of availability and performance, while cutting equipment costs and assembly efforts.
Airbus has already sold ten OneSat Novacom I satellites to various commercial customers, and many more orders are expected in the years to come.
| Number of satellites | Operator |
| 3 | Inmarsat (now VIASAT) |
| 1 | Optus |
| 2 | Intelsat (now SES) |
| 1 | JSAT |
| 1 | Thaicom |
| 1 | Undisclosed partner |
| 1 | Space Communication Technologies (Oman National Satellite operator) |
ESA Partnership Projects efficiently mitigate the risk borne by European space companies when developing ambitious endeavours.
Like previous ESA Partnership Projects, OneSat Novacom I is expected to generate an exceptional return on investment to the European space industry, creating jobs and boosting prosperity in ESA member states.
