Each OneWeb satellite is solar-powered and has its own propulsion system. OneWeb Like SpaceX, however, OneWeb has faced criticism for the number of satellites it is launching. While modest compared to Elon Musk’s venture, OneWeb alone still plans to nearly increase by half the 1,500 active satellites that orbit Earth today. This has led to concerns about space junk in orbit while, if any of OneWeb’s satellites were to fail at their operational altitude, they would likely remain in orbit for hundreds of years. OneWeb says it is including a magnetic fixture on its satellites, so that they can be grabbed and deorbited in the event of failure, but details on what company would remove the satellites has not yet been released, although there are options. And there are lingering concerns, too, about the impact of these constellations on astronomy. SpaceX has come under heavy fire for the brightness of its Starlink satellites, which are already impacting astronomical observations, with potential for legal action. There are fears OneWeb’s satellites could be similarly bright, along with concerns for radio astronomy. Both SpaceX and OneWeb have both touted their goals of bringing three billion without internet access into the digital age, albeit without any details on whether the services will be affordable or are desired. But there remain significant hurdles to overcome before these large constellations are accepted as being worth the risks they pose. And there has been some beef between the two companies. In October last year, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell made some publicly negative comments about OneWeb, suggesting that SpaceX had “far more capacity” in its satellites than the UK company and other competitors. “Oneweb? We are 17 times better per bit,” she said. “If you’re thinking about investing in OneWeb, I would recommend strongly against it. They fooled some people who are going to be pretty disappointed in the near term.” Nearly a dozen other organizations from the US to China are planning their own space internet mega constellations, including Amazon with its planned Project Kuiper constellation of more than 3,000 satellites. OneWeb’s launch today well and truly kicks off the race to emerge from this field, with SpaceX's Starlink the clear frontrunner so far, but with the potential for one or two others to join them. Now with its first launch in 2020 under its belt, OneWeb will be hoping it can cement itself as one of these major players. But with launches from both SpaceX and OneWeb set to come thick and vast, many will be hoping the concerns about these constellations can be addressed sooner rather than later.