Amazon (AMZN – Get Report) is preparing to launch its first internet satellites in 2024, joining the likes of SpaceX and OneWeb in a race to provide broadband internet services around the world. In the first half of 2024, the company will conduct initial commercial testing.
It plans to deploy 3,000 Kuiper satellites into low-Earth orbit over the next few years. That goal will keep it on track to meet a regulatory requirement to launch half of its network by 2026.
Project Kuiper
Amazon has announced plans to launch its first internet satellites in 2024, a milestone in its mission to provide broadband services to millions of unserved and underserved people around the world. The company’s Project Kuiper will consist of 3,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit, and will compete with SpaceX’s Starlink LEO network.
According to Amazon Senior Vice President Dave Limp, the company will mass-produce satellites for its Kuiper constellation later this year. This will keep the business on track to meet a regulatory mandate to launch half of its Kuiper network by 2026, Limp said in an interview.
The company will also launch a trio of terminals, or antennas, which will connect customers to its Kuiper satellites in space. The cheapest of these terminals will be an ultra-compact square design that’s roughly the size of a Kindle ebook reader, and is capable of speeds up to 100 Mbps.
A larger, 19 x 30 inch version will be designed for businesses and government agencies. The devices will all be powered by a baseband chip that Amazon developed called “Prometheus.”
SpaceX
The upcoming launch of the company’s first internet satellites in 2024 is set to put Amazon into direct competition with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. As an entrepreneur and billionaire, Musk has a keen eye for the space market and has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the industry.
SpaceX makes its money by helping deliver orbital payloads, like satellites, to customers ranging from government agencies to private firms. It also offers Starlink satellite internet, which allows people in remote areas to access the internet.
As well as the Starlink service, SpaceX has a range of other projects in development including a Moon lander and a giant rocket that could take people to Mars. These are all part of SpaceX’s aim to become a global leader in the space sector.
Satellites
Whether they are natural or man-made, satellites orbit Earth, helping us do many important things. Some take pictures of the planet that help meteorologists predict weather and track hurricanes. Others look at the sun, the planets in our solar system and other places in the universe.
These satellites are also used for research and data collection. They allow scientists to learn more about our world and universe than instruments on the ground can.
They can also be very useful for weather and climate research, tracking oceans, ice, and land. They also collect information about gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and ozone.
Satellites can be used for communications, too, beaming TV signals and phone calls around the globe. Before satellites, making a TV signal or calling someone far away was very difficult – it could be blocked by mountains or buildings.
Terminals
Amazon AMZN recently announced that it plans to launch its first internet satellites in 2024. These will be the first of more than 3,000 satellites that the company plans to deploy in low-Earth orbit over the next few years.
As the world’s leading online retailer, Amazon is also looking to provide high-speed internet service globally. Its satellite internet unit, Project Kuiper, is planning to manufacture its first satellites later this year, and mass-produce them in the second half of 2023.
To help get started with the project, Amazon unveiled three different terminals on Tuesday that would connect clients to its Kuiper satellites in orbit. These include standard 11-inch square antennas for consumers, as well as large 19-by-30 inch terminals for businesses, telcos and governments.