OneWeb founder’s new venture aims to make satellites that fight space debris

OneWeb founder and serial space entrepreneur Greg Wyler's new venture E-Space has announced $50m in investment funding Monday to build a satellite communications satellite constellation that's resilient to space debris. In a press release, E-Space stated its satellite network will provide inexpensive satellite communications and infrastructure control services using satellites designed to resist fragmenting when struck by space debris and to quickly re-enter the Earth's atmosphere if damaged. The Toulouse, France-based E-Space aims to begin mass production of its satellites in 2023 and to launch, eventually, as many as 100,000 small satellites for its network. The ISS later took evasive maneuvers to avoid a piece of space debris from a US rocket launch in 1994, while China has criticized US space company SpaceX after the Chinese space station had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with SpaceX's Starlink satellites. Debris from space launches or collisions between pieces of debris can threaten existing satellites and spacecraft, potentially turning them into dangerous navigational hazards as well. As the Chinese space station and Starlink satellites' close passes make clear, there's a risk of collision among fully operational space assets, and one that may grow inexorably with the number of satellites and spacecraft launched. If E-Space eventually launches 100,000 satellites, they will join the 42,000 or more satellites SpaceX plans to launch as part of its Starlink megaconstellation, and the 7,000 or so satellites planned by OneWeb.