The launch of OneWeb satellites was postponed to February 22 due to problems with Russian equipment.

The launch of the first satellites under the OneWeb program on a Soyuz launch vehicle from the Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana was postponed from February 19 to February 22, said on Twitter. company founder Greg Wyler

The launch was postponed after the discovery of defects in the Soyuz rocket with the Fregat upper stage. At the end of January, when the Fregat was refueling, a depressurization occurred, and experts found a microcrack in the line for supplying helium, which is used to displace fuel during engine operation.

A RIA Novosti source in the rocket and space industry said that at first the company providing launches of Russian rockets from Kourou did not agree to the proposal to repair the helium line at the cosmodrome. However, the day before, the agency reported that the hole was still patched up on the spot.

Recall that the OneWeb project, which was founded by former Google manager Greg Wyler, involves the creation of a network of 882 small spacecraft in orbit, which should provide the entire Earth with the Internet. Investors have already invested $1.7 billion in it.