Amazon Launches First Satellite Deployment for Project Kuiper
(MENAFN) Amazon has officially begun deploying satellites for its ambitious Project Kuiper, marking a pivotal move in the company's bid to broaden worldwide broadband connectivity.
The initial group of satellites launched Monday evening aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, lifting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:01 p.m. EST (11:01 p.m. GMT).
Shortly after liftoff, ULA reported that the rocket had successfully completed stage separation. The mission proceeded with the cutoff of the booster engine and the detachment of the Atlas V’s main booster.
Named "KA-01," this launch inserted 27 satellites into low Earth orbit at an altitude of 450 kilometers, according to Amazon.
The launch had been slated for April 9 but was postponed due to poor weather conditions.
This mission marks the initial phase of Amazon’s broader strategy to place more than 3,000 satellites in orbit. The goal is to provide fast, low-latency internet service to people and communities around the globe.
"We've designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and every launch is an opportunity to add more capacity and coverage to our network," stated Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Project Kuiper.
The satellite payload on "KA-01" is the heaviest ever launched using ULA’s Atlas V rocket. To manage this load, ULA utilized the rocket’s most robust configuration.
In the coming years, Amazon and ULA will conduct seven additional Atlas V missions, along with 38 launches using ULA’s more powerful Vulcan Centaur rocket to deploy the bulk of the Project Kuiper network.
Amazon has also secured over 30 launch contracts with other aerospace firms, including Arianespace, Blue Origin, and SpaceX.
The company introduced Project Kuiper in 2019. Two prototype satellites were launched in October 2023 to test and enhance the technology needed to deliver cost-effective satellite internet.
Project Kuiper will directly compete with SpaceX’s Starlink network, which, according to U.S. media outlets, already provides high-speed internet to more than 4 million users across over 100 countries.
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