Amazon has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to building a constellation of internet satellites in low Earth orbit, but the company has successfully deployed its first mission in an effort to compete with industry giant SpaceX.
The Kuiper-1 mission launched on Monday at 7:01 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The first batch of 27 satellites was packed into a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V for the inauguration of the Project Kuiper constellation, which has been a long time in the making. “All Kuiper-1 satellites have successfully deployed into space,” the company wrote on X a few hours after liftoff.
The following day, Amazon confirmed that the mission is off to a good start with the satellites operating as expected. “We’ve already established contact with all 27 Kuiper satellites in orbit, and initial deployment and activation sequences are proceeding as planned,” the company announced.
The Kuiper satellites will orbit at an altitude between 367 and 391 miles (590 and 630 kilometers) above Earth. The satellites are built with an active propulsion system, which includes a custom thruster built in-house and a krypton-filled propellant tank, to combat atmospheric drag and maintain satellite altitude within 5.6 miles (9 km) of target operational orbits.
Project Kuiper is Amazon’s answer to Starlink, a satellite constellation beaming down fast, affordable internet connectivity to different parts of the world. The initiative suffered several delays, with the company initially aiming to deploy its first satellites in early 2024. Amazon is also under a time crunch due to a 2020 authorization order from the Federal Communications Commission, which stipulates that the company must launch 50% of its Project Kuiper satellites by 2026, and the rest by 2029. If it fails to meet its deadlines, Amazon will likely be forced to apply for an extension.
Meanwhile, SpaceX has launched more than 7,000 Starlink satellites to space, and is already providing high-speed internet to 70 countries. Unlike his space billionaire rival Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos is hoping to launch a total of 3,200 low Earth orbit satellites, securing 80 upcoming launches with multiple commercial providers, including Arianespace, ULA, and Bezos’ other space venture, Blue Origin, to form its initial constellation.
Amazon has already launched two prototype satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, on an Atlas V rocket in late 2023. The test mission was successful, with the two satellites pulling off controlled maneuvering in low Earth orbit. “There’s room for lots of winners there,” Bezos said during an interview with Reuters. “I predict Starlink will continue to be successful, and I predict Kuiper will be successful as well.”
