Related: Here's every spaceship that's ever carried an astronaut into orbit "We thank SpaceX for their support, which reflects our shared vision for the boundless potential of space," OneWeb's chief executive, Neil Masterson said in a statement. "With these launch plans in place, we're on track to finish building out our full fleet of satellites and deliver robust, fast, secure connectivity around the globe." The U.K. government took a 20% stake in OneWeb in July 2020, investing to save the company from bankruptcy after it failed to secure private funding. The purchase made the British state a major shareholder alongside OneWeb's majority shareholder, the Indian telecommunications company Bharti Global, which owns a 40% controlling share. The U.K.'s ostensible reason for investing in the company was to replace the European Union's Galileo Navigation system, which the country lost access to after Brexit. The British government said it was going to use the OneWeb satellites to build an alternative to Galileo, but this plan was later described as "nonsensical" by experts, who said that the satellites made by OneWeb are totally different from those made for navigation systems. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. RELATED CONTENT