United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the first two demonstration satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation stands prepared for launch on pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on October 5, 2023 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States.
Paul Hennessey | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Your Amazon order of satellite internet is about to ship.
More than 4 years for the reason that tech large introduced its bold plan to make investments closely in constructing a world satellite internet community, Amazon on Friday is set to launch the first pair of prototypes for its Project Kuiper system.
“We’ve executed in depth testing right here in our lab and have a excessive diploma of confidence in our satellite design, however there is no substitute for on-orbit testing,” Project Kuiper vp of know-how Rajeev Badyal stated in an announcement earlier than the launch.
Project Kuiper is Amazon’s plan to build a network of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit, to present high-speed internet entry wherever on the earth. The firm plans to invest upwards of $10 billion to construct Kuiper, and just lately broke ground on a $120 million pre-launch processing facility in Florida.
Called “Protoflight,” Friday’s mission will see United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket carry two satellites – Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2 – into low Earth orbit. The rocket is launching from ULA’s pad SLC-41 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, with a two hour launch window opening at 2 p.m. ET.
If the launch is postponed for climate or technical causes, ULA has a backup window on Saturday.
United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the first two demonstration satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation stands prepared for launch on pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on October 5, 2023 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States.
Paul Hennessey | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Amazon twice switched rides for the pair of satellites earlier than lastly deciding to go together with the instantly out there, albeit far overpowered, Atlas V rocket for the Protoflight mission. Amazon initially deliberate to launch on ABL Space’s RS1 rocket, earlier than delays in RS1’s improvement moved the satellites to United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, however delays to Vulcan’s debut moved the satellites to Atlas V.
Information concerning the measurement and design of the pair of Amazon’s satellites has been scarce – with the corporate solely sharing pictures of the transport containers that delivered the spacecraft to Florida. Even ULA’s particulars concerning the launch are restricted, with the data supplied comparable to when the rocket firm flies categorised spy satellites for the U.S. authorities.
Last yr, Amazon introduced the biggest corporate rocket deal in the industry’s history to launch Kuiper satellites, signing launch contracts with ULA, Arianespace, and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. As a part of that deal, Amazon expects to pay about $7.4 billion for Kuiper launches over the following 5 years.
It has booked 77 launches – offers that embody choices for extra launches when wanted – from that trio of corporations to deploy the satellites quick sufficient to meet regulatory necessities. That huge buy has come under scrutiny from an Amazon shareholder lawsuit, which alleges the corporate snubbed SpaceX for beneficial satellite launch contracts due to Jeff Bezos’ private rivalry with Elon Musk.
Amazon is enjoying catch up to SpaceX, which has grown its Starlink satellite internet service to greater than 2 million prospects. Crucially, SpaceX says it’s no longer absorbing the cost of the Starlink antennas it sells with the service, and the greater than 5,000 satellites its launched thus far now serve shopper, enterprise, and authorities prospects.
Earlier this week, Amazon reiterated that its first manufacturing Kuiper satellites are on monitor to launch within the first half of subsequent yr – with plans to start beta testing the community with prospects by the tip of 2024.
The “ultra-compact” model of the Project Kuiper
Amazon
Protoflight represents an “end-to-end” check of Kuiper. Amazon will look to confirm the prototype satellites can join to floor antennas and relay that connectivity on to its small buyer terminals.
This yr Amazon revealed a trio of satellite antennas that it plans to promote to Kuiper prospects. The firm has but to say what it expects to cost prospects for the {hardware} or service. Earlier field testing of Amazon’s Kuiper antennas noticed obtain speeds of up to 400 Mbps.
The firm’s main Kuiper facilities are near Seattle – within the Washington cities of Redmond and Kirkland. Amazon has different areas in San Diego, Austin, Texas, New York City and Washington, D.C.
