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Amazon has launched the first batch of satellites for its broadband internet constellation, Project Kuiper, as it tries to get a rival network to Elon Musk’s Starlink off the ground.
The 27 Kuiper satellites were blasted into space aboard launch provider United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, ULA said on Monday.
The Kuiper launch marks an important step for Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite internet service as it races to build a 3,200-strong constellation at a crucial moment for the sector, as many governments seek alternatives to Starlink.
“Kuiper is the next big heavyweight to enter the arena,” said Caleb Henry, an analyst at Quilty Space. “The goal now is to really begin to crank things up, [to] launch regularly and quickly enough to get enough satellites up to start a service.”
Andy Jassy, Amazon’s chief executive, has launched a search for new business lines to serve as a “fourth pillar” for the company alongside Amazon Web Services, ecommerce and its Prime subscription service.
Kuiper is among a string of capital-intensive bets that range from healthcare to self-driving vehicles and artificial intelligence.
The Seattle-based conglomerate will target the same retail, business and government customers that Starlink serves — and wants to have the internet service operational by the end of the year. It has not disclosed the full details of the service it will offer, but Jassy previously said it could provide connectivity to as many as 300mn-400mn customers.
But Kuiper has faced persistent manufacturing delays. A ULA Kuiper launch earlier this month was scrubbed because of poor weather conditions. Amazon had launched only two prototype satellites ahead of Monday’s flight.
Starlink has flown more than 7,000 spacecraft since its first satellite reached space in 2019. The company serves more than 4.5mn customers and controls more than 60 per cent of all satellites in orbit.
Musk’s venture is a critical component in Ukraine’s defence against Russia. But the billionaire’s proximity to US President Donald Trump and attacks on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spurred foreign governments and corporations to seek alternatives.
Amazon is viewed as one viable option. It has secured launch capacity from ULA, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, as well as Europe’s Arianespace, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and even SpaceX.
Kuiper faces a deadline from the Federal Communication Commission to have half its planned constellation in the air by July 2025.
Production and launch delays mean Kuiper is unlikely to meet this goal and will probably have to seek a waiver. Otherwise, it will only be allowed to launch double the number of satellites it has in orbit by the middle of next year.
“The writing was on the wall a long time ago that they would miss the target,” Henry said, noting he expected the FCC to grant an extension as the rules had been put in place to combat companies holding on to permissions to launch satellites without using them.
“Amazon just needs to show that they’re very serious about getting their constellation launched,” Henry added.
