Amazon has begun deploying its Kuiper satellite constellation, which will eventually provide internet to millions of people. The first satellites have been launched into orbit without any failures, and the company is already preparing for further launches. The project is seen as a potential competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink system, which has more than 7,000 satellites in low Earth orbit and over 5 million users.
Image source: Amazon
According to GeekWire, Amazon has successfully launched the first batch of Project Kuiper global internet satellites, and project manager Rajeev Badyal said the mission took off as planned, but noted that “it’s too early to draw conclusions, there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Project Kuiper is Amazon’s ambitious project to create a global satellite network that will compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink system. Musk currently has more than 7,000 satellites in orbit and 5 million users, while Amazon is just starting to deploy its constellation. On Monday, an Atlas V rocket launched the first 27 working satellites from a launch site in Florida, USA, which are now being tested by a team from Redmond.
Amazon plans to launch 3,232 satellites in total, and this launch is a major step in a multi-year program. The satellites are being manufactured at a facility in Kirkland, Washington, with some work being done at Project Kuiper headquarters in Redmond. “All satellites were successfully launched into orbit exactly 36 minutes after launch,” Badial said, without providing further details.
Amazon is already preparing the next satellites for launch, and their delivery to the spaceport at Cape Canaveral has already begun. The next launch will also be carried out using the Atlas V rocket. At the same time, the company must adhere to strict deadlines, since according to the license of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), more than 1,600 satellites must be launched into orbit by mid-2026. However, Amazon does not rule out that they may request an extension of this deadline. If everything goes according to plan, the first customers will be able to connect to Amazon’s global satellite network by the end of this year.