Amazon Launches Internet Satellite Prototypes—Looks To Compete With Starlink

Forbes Business Breaking Amazon Launches Internet Satellite Prototypes—Looks To Compete With Starlink Antonio Pequeño IV Forbes Staff I cover breaking news. Following Oct 6, 2023, 05:07pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Updated Oct 6, 2023, 05:32pm EDT Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Two Amazon prototype satellites were launched into space Friday afternoon, marking the early stages of a company initiative, known as Project Kuiper , that looks to establish an array of more than 3,000 internet satellites in low orbit that could serve as a competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the first two demonstration satellites for Amazon’s .

. . [+] Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

(Photo by Paul Hennesy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Key Facts The prototype satellites are the first versions of more than 3,200 satellites that will be deployed through Project Kuiper in the next six years, half of which must be launched by July 2026 under a regulatory deadline . Amazon has pledged to invest $10 billion into Project Kuiper, which aims to find its footing in a lucrative satellite internet market that includes an estimated 4 billion people in need of internet access, according to the Washington Post . The project may one day act as a competitor to the Starlink internet satellites produced by Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, which boasts a massive head start that has culminated in more than 4,000 satellites currently orbiting Earth.

Friday’s launch was completed by an Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and will result in the pair of satellites orbiting 311 miles above Earth’s surface for a series of tests. Rajeev Badyal, Project Kuiper’s vice president of technology, said in a statement that Friday was “Amazon’s first time putting satellites into space,” a milestone achieved before Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, was able to launch a rocket into orbit. Forbes Valuation We estimate Bezo’s net worth at $150.

8 billion, making him the world’s third-wealthiest person —two spots behind Musk, who is valued at $259. 9 billion. Key Background Amazon purchased 83 launches —the largest commercial purchase of rocket launches ever—to supplement Project Kuiper’s planned satellite launches.

Twenty-seven launches were procured from Blue Origin while the remainder came from Arianespace of France and United Launch Alliance of the United States. Officials from the launch sellers expect to meet Kuiper’s launch deadlines, according to the New York Times . Amazon is looking to provide satellite internet for individual consumers and businesses through Kuiper and will build consumer terminals at a company cost of $400, Reuters reported.

It will take time for the program to meet the scale of SpaceX’s Starlink, which sells consumer terminals for $599. Tangent Amazon is dealing with a shareholder lawsuit accusing it of not completing due diligence for not considering the purchase of cheaper launches from SpaceX. The shareholders allege Bezos’ rivalry with Musk was a factor that influenced the decision to instead buy from Blue Origin, Arianespace of France and United Launch Alliance of the United States.

Further Reading Amazon launches first internet satellites in bid to compete with Starlink (Washington Post) Amazon Launches First Satellites in Bid to Challenge SpaceX’s Starlink (WSJ) Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn . Send me a secure tip . Antonio Pequeño IV Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.