The blue planet is surrounded by Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, which provide an internet and communication network. But he is no longer alone in the space race. He has a fierce rival. Amazon is aiming high. The company is preparing to launch the first internet satellites of Project Kuiper, which it plans to rival Starlink. The name Project Kuiper was inspired by the Kuiper Belt, the most distant belt of the Solar System. Here are the details…
Amazon takes its first step into space with the first satellites of Project Kuiper!
Amazon has a goal of bringing affordable broadband to more people around the world. He is getting closer to this goal step by step. The company is preparing to launch a pair of prototype low orbit satellites (LEO) soon. In this way, the company will conduct space tests of the satellites it will launch for Project Kuiper. He named this mission, in which he would use prototype satellites, the Protoflight mission.
After years of lab-based testing, Amazon is starting real-life testing. “This is the first time Amazon has placed a satellite in space,” said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology at Project Kuiper. “We will learn an incredible amount through this situation.”
Amazon will send the first pair of satellites to an altitude of 500 km, which is about 50 km lower than the Starlink satellites. For this, it will use United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V rocket. With the Protoflight mission, it will observe the condition of prototype satellites in space conditions.
Thus, the company will test LEO broadband satellites, customer terminals and ground-based communications network. Amazon will try to communicate with satellites in real-life conditions. It will also run a bunch of tests on ground-based hardware and deploying solar arrays for power generation.
“At the end of the mission, we plan to actively deorbit both satellites before they eventually burn up in Earth’s atmosphere,” Amazon said in a statement. “This is part of our commitment to space security.” said.
As for the Starlink satellites led by Elon Musk, they are orbiting the blue planet. Musk currently has about 5,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. The company made its communication and internet services available to residential and commercial customers.
Amazon, on the other hand, has a long way to go on this path. However, the company continues on its way with firm steps. It will also send its first production satellites into space in the first half of 2024. The company confirmed that some early commercial customers will be able to join the beta testing program by the end of next year.
Additionally, Amazon plans to complete the Project Kuiper project within 6 years. According to the company’s plans, more than 3,200 satellites, which share Internet connections with terminals on the ground, will circulate in low orbit and provide Internet service during this period.
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