Amazon wants to have its own Starlink. Project Kuiper has started
7:45 AM EDT, October 7, 2023
Project Kuiper officially launched. Amazon wants to have its own equivalent to the Starlink system. The first two satellites have already been launched. Eventually, huge constellations are supposed to be established, which will be providing internet all over the world.
Project Kuiper appears to be a direct competitor to SpaceX and its Starlink system. On Friday, October 6, 2023, in the evening hours Eastern Time, Amazon launched the first two Kuiper satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida into orbit.
Preparations for the implementation of the program have been underway since 2018. According to Bloomberg, Amazon is ready to spend about 10 billion dollars as part of Project Kuiper. The Starlink program has been operational for years, which has resulted in more than 5,000 satellites already in orbit, providing internet to about 2 million customers.
Project Kuiper, therefore, has quite a bit of catching up to do before it can directly compete with Elon Musk's company. Especially considering that Musk is permitted to place 7,500 next-generation satellites into orbit.
According to Amazon's current plans, approximately 3,200 satellites are to be launched into orbit to provide internet. Experts believe that the company's chance of success in competition with SpaceX lies in the ability to offer customers not only internet access, but also the already recognized customer services related to the cloud.
As reported by CNN, Amazon confirmed the mission was successful. If Amazon wants to play a significant role in providing satellite internet, it should hurry. As reported by the Polish Press Agency, at the end of September, Eutelsat and OneWeb companies together created the Eutelsat Group, which aspires to become a European giant of satellite internet, thereby going into competition with companies such as SpaceX or Amazon.
China also wants to use the opportunity to dominate another industry. Their Guowang system is expected to have as many as 13,000 satellites. The European Union hopes that its own Iris constellation will provide internet access throughout its territory by 2027.
