This article is more than 5 years old. OneWeb recently launched 34 satellites on a Russian Soyuz rocket. Associated Press OneWeb may be restructuring amid Chapter 11 proceedings, but the company still has big plans to take a run at SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. The SpaceX rival announced it has asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to modify its launching request to put 48,000 satellites in orbit — even more than SpaceX’s proposal of 42,000 satellites, as it turns out. OneWeb company has about 74 satellites in orbit right now. OneWeb said the novel coronavirus pandemic has shown a greater need for global Internet connectivity, and that the increased satellites will allow the company to meet the demand. As for the Chapter 11 situation announced in late March — ironically, prompted by financial problems related to the pandemic — OneWeb said that is still ongoing and it is entertaining sale offers with “considerable interest” from multiple buyers, none of which it disclosed in a press release. Media reports have said that Amazon, yet another satellite constellation builder, is among the interested buyers. “This significant increase in the size of the OneWeb constellation enables long-term flexibility and ensures we will be ready for the demand, future growth, and technology changes to come,” said OneWeb CEO Adrian Steckel in a statement. One application, he added, could be building out a network to support the Internet of Things that supports numerous web-connected devices, with applications ranging from shipping to having your fridge tell you when the milk is expiring. (And yes, SpaceX is all over the IoT market opportunity as well.) OneWeb made no mention of astronomers’ concerns about low-Earth orbit satellites. The worry is that so many small machines in orbit could interfere with astronomy observations. SpaceX has vowed to dim its bright Starlink satellites to alleviate concerns, and OneWeb may have to take similar steps if the constellation does get built and launched. MORE FOR YOU