Representational

Representational

Amazonis scheduled to launch its inaugural batch ofKuiperinternet satellites on April 9,marking a significant milestone in the company’s endeavour to provide high-speed internet connectivity from low Earth orbit. This launch is a crucial step towards initiating commercial service for Project Kuiper, Amazon’s initiative that directly aims to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
As per Amazon, the long-awaited maiden voyage of Amazon’s Kuiper internet satellites, named “KA-01” for Kuiper Atlas 1, will launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The mission – scheduled for 12:00 pm Eastern Time (9:30 pm IST) – will deploy 27 satellites at an altitude of 450 kilometres above Earth.
“We’ve done extensive testing on the ground to prepare for this first mission, but there are some things you can only learn in flight, and this will be the first time we’ve flown our final satellite design and the first time we’ve deployed so many satellites at once,” stated Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Kuiper.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper began in 2019 with the goal of delivering broadband internet through a constellation comprising over 3,000 satellites. Amazon has committed $10 billion to this project with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reportedly leveraging Amazon’s resources to develop the project.
Prior to this launch, Amazon successfully conducted its first service test in October 2023, deploying two prototype satellites. The company had originally planned to launch its operational satellites in the preceding year, but the mission was delayed due to ULA prioritising two missions for the U.S. Space Force.
Project Kuiper will enter a competitive market dominated by low Earth orbit satellite internet providers such as Elon Musk’s Starlink, which boasts a constellation of over 7,000 satellites, placing it considerably ahead of Amazon. Other competitors include SoftBank-backed OneWeb and emerging players like China’s SpaceSail.
Similar to its competitors, Amazon is targeting consumers with limited access to broadband internet, as well as governments and businesses. Users will access the service through terminals capable of sending and receiving signals from the Kuiper satellites.
Amazon faces a critical deadline set by the Federal Communications Commission, which mandates that the company deploy half of its intended constellation, or 1,618 satellites, by July 2026. To achieve this, Amazon has secured over 80 launch contracts with various rocket providers, including ULA, SpaceX (owned by Elon Musk), and Blue Origin (founded by Amazon’s own Jeff Bezos).