Amazon
Amazon has launched the first 27 satellites out of a planned 3,236 into low Earth orbit as part of the Kuiper Internet network.
Amazon’s $10 billion project was unveiled in 2019. The company aims to launch a global broadband Internet network by analogy with Starlink from SpaceX.
On April 27, an Atlas V rocket launched a batch of satellites into orbit. The first launch attempt on April 9 was canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions.
The launch of the Kuiper global Internet communication network makes Amazon a competitor not only for SpaceX, but also for such large telecommunications companies as AT&T and T-Mobile. Amazon says it aims to provide a stable Internet network in rural areas, where the Internet is often either unstable or non-existent.
Amazon initially planned to launch the satellites a year ago. According to the requirements of the US Federal Communications Commission, the company has to launch at least 1,618 satellites by mid-2026. Experts predict that given the slow start, Amazon will probably ask for an extension.
According to United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO Tori Bruno, the company may launch up to five Amazon satellites into space this year. The company expects to use its own experience in developing consumer devices and a developed cloud computing infrastructure as competitive advantage in front of Starlink.
So far, SpaceX has managed to launch more than 8 thousand satellites into orbit since 2019. On Monday, April 28, the 250th launch of the Starlink satellite batch took place. SpaceX performs at least one space mission per week, delivering about 20 satellites to orbit to expand capacity and replace old Starlink satellites.
Such a pace of deployment has allowed SpaceX to gain more than 5 million customers in 125 countries. Meanwhile, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is convinced that Kuiper will compete with Starlink.
Other Amazon competitors include to name Eutelsat (OneWeb) with its more than 600 satellites, Iridium, which has 66 operating satellites, and other companies.
Source: Reuters