'Inappropriate': UK taxpayer-backed satellites set to be launched from Russian-owned facility, on Russian rockets

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A company part-owned by the British government is set to launch satellites from a Russian-run facility later this week, a leading MP has warned.

Commons business committee chair Darren Jones said it was “inappropriate” for OneWeb satellites to take off from a launch pad at the the Russian-owned Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on Russian Soyuz rockets.

Satellite company OneWeb was bought out of bankruptcy by British taxpayers in 2020, giving the government a £400m stake.

It has 36 satellites ready to be launched in Kazakhstan to complete the OneWeb constellation to deliver broadband internet connections to the world.

At the moment their existing spacecraft can only deliver broadband internet connections to locations above 50 degrees North, including BT in the UK.

They are expected to be launched on Friday at 10.41pm GMT in partnership with the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos.

Mr Jones has written to science minister George Freeman asking for the government to ask whether it considers the situation to be “inappropriate”, given Russia has invaded Ukraine.

He told Sky News: “Much like the ask of BP and Shell, OneWeb should not be continuing to engage in commercial activities with Russian companies.

“Ministers should be working with the OneWeb board to help secure this outcome as soon as possible.”

He asked Mr Freeman whether the government intended to intervene and requested information about what, if any, payments had been made to Russian-owned entities and whether they would be subject to sanctions.