While Elon Musk’s SpaceX has made a significant head start in the race to deliver Internet from space, Amazon has redoubled its efforts. The ecommerce giant announced Tuesday that it has signed the largest commercial rocket deal in history.
Amazon’s huge deal stipulates the launch of up to 83 Project Kuiper Internet satellites, involving three companies: AryanSpace, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Blue Origin, a Jeff-Bezos-based space technology company that has long been at loggerheads with SpaceX over the Starlink effort. Has done. In front of federal regulators, some arsons followed on Twitter.
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With Project Kuiper, Amazon aims to place a network of 3,236 satellites in low-Earth orbit, providing high-speed Internet anywhere in the world. SpaceX has already sent about 2,000 of its Starlink Internet satellites into orbit. Amazon has not yet announced when it will launch Project Kuiper, but FCC rules indicate that the company will launch half of its planned satellites in six years, meaning it will have about 1,600 orbits by July 2026.
“Project Kuiper will provide fast, affordable broadband to millions of customers in the underdeveloped and underdeveloped communities around the world,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices and Services. “We still have a lot of work to do, but the team continues to go from mile to mile across every aspect of our satellite system.”
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The terms of the deal announced Tuesday were not disclosed. None of the four companies involved commented on the cost of the deal, although it is estimated to be worth billions.
Amazon.com, Inc. It was 1.85% lower at 10:40 am EST
