Amazon Launches Its First Kuiper Internet Satellite, Ready To Compete With Starlink

Amazon launched the first 27 satellites for the broadband internet constellation Project Kuiper from Florida (photo: x @timesofindia)

JAKARTA Amazon launched its first 27 satellites for the broadband internet constellation Project Kuiper from Florida on Monday, April 28, marking the start of its long-awaited internet network project. The project aims to rival SpaceX's Starlink network which has already taken control of the market.

The satellites are part of a total plan of 3,236 satellites to be delivered to low-Earth orbit. Project Kuiper, with an investment value of up to 10 billion US dollars since it was announced in 2019, aims to provide global internet services for consumers, businesses and governments segments that have also been Starlink's focus for years.

Using the United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket, the joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base at 19.00 local time. Previously, bad weather thwarted the launch attempt on April 9.

Project Kuiper is Amazon's big stake in competing not only with Starlink, but also with global telecommunications providers such as AT&T and T-Mobile. Amazon claims this service will greatly help remote areas with minimal connectivity.

The launch of this operational satellite was delayed by more than a year Amazon originally targeted its first launch in early 2024. In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Amazon is required to launch half of the total satellites (1,618 satellites) before mid-2026. However, due to this delay, analysts expect Amazon to ask for an extension of time.

Amazon is expected to confirm its first communications with the satellites within hours or days of launch, from their mission operations center in Redmond, Washington. If running smoothly, Project Kuiper services will be available to customers later this year.

According to ULA CEO Tory Bruno, the rocket company could launch up to five more Kuiper missions this year. Based on FCC 2020 documents, Amazon said it could start services in some northern and southern regions when it already has 578 satellites in orbit, with coverage extending to the equatorial region as the number of satellites increases.

Amazon previously tested two prototype satellites in 2023 and succeeded, before ending its orbit in 2024. Since then, Amazon has been quite closed about the development of the program until announcing its first planned launch in early April.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's SpaceX has launched more than 8,000 Starlink satellites since 2019 and is now carrying out at least one launch mission per week. Starlink now has more than 5 million users in 125 countries, and has attracted the attention of defense and intelligence agencies for national purposes.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon Chairman, believes Project Kuiper will be able to compete. "The request for the internet is unlimited," he told Reuters in January. I'm sure Starlink will be successful, and I'm also sure Kuiper will be successful.

Amazon is also preparing a Kuiper consumer terminal, in the form of an antenna the size of an LP black plate and a mini version the size of a Kindle device, which will be sold under 400 US dollars. In 2022, Amazon ordered 83 rocket launches from ULA, Arianespace (France), and Blue Origin, Bezos' space company the biggest launch contract in the history of the industry.