The US retail giant Amazon is preparing to launch its first full batch of Project Kuiper satellites on Wednesday. The launch marks a crucial milestone in the battle with Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide high-speed internet.
The 27 satellites will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 7:00 pm (2300 GMT). An Atlas V rocket will carry them. The United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, operates the rocket.
Like Starlink, the service aims to provide internet access to even the most remote and underserved areas around the world. These include war zones and disaster-struck areas.
The satellites will sit hundreds of miles above the Earth. There, they will form the foundations of Project Kuiper. Amazon says this constellation will include more than 3,200 satellites.
Amazon, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has said the internet service will go live this year. However, the project’s pricing has not yet been revealed. Amazon has promised it will be in line with its reputation as a low-cost retailer.
With this launch, Amazon goes into direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink and other satellite internet providers. The Musk-owned SpaceX launched the first batch of its Starlink satellites in 2019. It now has more than 6,750 operational satellites. It is by far the sector’s biggest player, with over five million customers worldwide.
Starlink has provided internet access to several disaster and war zones. For example, it served Morocco after a devastating 2023 earthquake. It also serves the frontlines in Ukraine in its war with Russia.
High competition
Traditional internet services rely on fewer satellites. Those satellites sit more than 35,000 kilometers (22,000 miles) from Earth. In contrast, the satellites offered by Musk and soon Bezos use a low Earth orbit. That orbit lies between 550 and 1,300 kilometers (350-810 miles).
As a result, they relay data more rapidly to Earth. They also enable internet access in areas without landline connections by copper or fiber optic cable.
“Cost, complexity, and geography can make it difficult to install traditional, ground-based fiber and wireless connectivity solutions in these areas,” Amazon says.
A lower orbit, however, has a drawback. So-called LEO satellites are only reachable from a smaller area. Therefore, more satellites are needed for full global coverage, and launches are more regular.
Still, it provides a large potential market for Amazon. The company hopes to become a key player there by catching up with its main competitor.
Amazon is planning to boost satellite launches in the coming months and years. Firms have received orders for more than 80 flights. They include ULA, Bezos’s space company Blue Origin and even Musk’s SpaceX.
Concerns about crowded orbit
Crews will gradually dispatch these satellites to the low Earth orbit. Starlink increasingly populates this orbit. So do other emerging actors, including Europe’s OneWeb and China’s Guowang.
Some have voiced fears about the growing number of satellites. They say it could lead to congestion and possible collisions. It could also disturb astronomical observations.
The role of private hands in space has also raised political questions. This is particularly true given the role of Musk as a key advisor to US President Donald Trump.
Musk has cast doubt on the future of Starlink in Ukraine. The service is essential there for military operations in Kyiv’s war with Russia, which Trump wants to see ended. In March, however, he said that “no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals.”
Agence France-Presse
