Amazon can quickly deliver a package to your doorstep, but it took years before the company was finally ready to put its satellites into space. The company, led by Jeff Bezos, is preparing to launch the first batch of its internet satellites into low Earth orbit, hoping to get a chance to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper is set to launch its first full batch of satellites on Wednesday, April 9, at 12 p.m. ET. The satellites will be placed inside a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, which will launch from Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida. After liftoff, the rocket will attempt to bring all 27 satellites to an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometers) above the Earth, Amazon reports.
The mission, named “KA-01” for Kuiper Atlas 1, has been in the works for a long time, and Amazon is looking to enter the satellite broadband market. This market is currently dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has launched more than 7,000 satellites into orbit to provide high-speed internet to 70 countries. Musk wants to launch 42,000 satellites to complete the mega constellation, but so far, the Federal Communications Commission has granted SpaceX a license for 12,000 first-generation satellites and another 7,500 for the second-generation constellation.
Project Kuiper, on the other hand, is not aiming for such high numbers. Instead, Amazon wants to launch 3,200 low-orbit satellites, securing 80 future launches with several commercial providers, including Arianespace, ULA, and Bezos’ other space venture, Blue Origin, to form its initial constellation.
Amazon has already launched two prototype satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, on an Atlas V rocket in late 2023. The test mission was successful, with both satellites performing controlled maneuvers in low Earth orbit.
Kuiper satellites will orbit at an altitude of 367 to 391 miles (590-630 km) above the Earth. The satellites are equipped with an active propulsion system, which includes a special propulsion system of its own production and a krypton tank filled with fuel to fight atmospheric drag and maintain the satellite’s altitude within 5.6 miles (9 km) of the target operating orbit.
The upcoming launch is an important step for Amazon, but it still has a lot of catching up to do compared to its competitors. However, Amazon is positioning Project Kuiper as “affordable broadband,” stating that its standard terminals will cost around $400, making them cheaper than SpaceX’s kits, The Verge reports. In addition to client terminals, Amazon will also use a network of ground antennas and fiber optic connections to provide connectivity. The company claims that its internet service can provide speeds of up to 400 megabits per second, which is significantly faster than Starlink’s current speed of 300 Mbps on standard service, according to Tom’s Guide.
The Kuiper project is aimed at providing Internet services to households, businesses, government agencies and other institutions. Vodafone and its African subsidiary Vodacom have partnered with Amazon to use Project Kuiper to expand their 4G/5G networks.
This sounds like a lot of good promises from Amazon, but only time will tell if it can deliver on them and if it can compete with the growing influence of Starlink. This first launch should be a good indicator.
“We have developed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built,” said Rajiv Badial, vice president of Project Kuiper, in a statement. “We have done extensive testing on the ground to prepare for this first mission, but there are things that can only be learned in flight, and this will be the first time we are launching our final satellite design and the first time we are deploying so many satellites at once.”
