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Credit: Reuters
Amazon has launched two dozen satellites into space as Jeff Bezos kicks off a long-delayed attempt to challenge Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Project Kuiper, the online retail giant’s satellite division, fired 27 satellites into orbit aboard an Atlas V rocket on Monday evening.
The satellites are the first in a planned network of more than 3,200 spacecraft that will provide internet connectivity to people across the globe as Amazon attempts to compete with Mr Musk’s Starlink constellation.
Starlink, which is part of SpaceX, has more than 5m customers, who use its satellite dishes to connect to broadband signals beamed from its satellites.
Mr Musk has so far launched more than 8,000 satellites, providing coverage to remote parts of the world and crucial military signals for Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s invasion. His SpaceX rocket business has allowed Starlink to race ahead of rivals by providing ready access to launches.
Amazon’s first satellites launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at about 7pm local time. They were carried aboard a rocket developed by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to 280 miles above the Earth. In total, Amazon plans to fly more than 80 missions to build its initial satellite network.
The online retailer revealed its plans for Project Kuiper in 2019 and had originally hoped to begin launches in the first half of last year, but its missions were repeatedly pushed back.
While Amazon is years behind Starlink, it hopes to launch its internet broadband to its first customers later this year. It is also planning to launch a service in the UK, securing a licence from the telecoms regulator Ofcom in February and working with Vodafone to test its technology.
Amazon told the Ofcom last year it believed Kuiper was “uniquely suited to reach hard-to-serve areas within the UK”. Its space business has also started fostering ties with UK defence officials.
Mr Bezos’s rival endeavour to Starlink has been labelled a “copycat” project by Mr Musk, who has long clashed with the Amazon founder over his space endeavours.
Analysts have predicted that Project Kuiper could cost Amazon as much as $20bn (£15bn) to complete and questioned how it will make back its investment. Project Kuiper could help expand the reach of Amazon’s Prime service, or allow it to bundle broadband deals with its free delivery service. However, the profitability of such use cases is untested.
The satellite venture could also help Amazon secure defence deals. Governments around the world have been looking at alternatives to Mr Musk’s Starlink for secure communications, as the billionaire ingratiates himself to Donald Trump. Officials in Taiwan have reportedly held talks with Amazon to make use its satellite technology.
Mr Bezos also owns Blue Origin, his rocket business, which has carried tourists to the edge of space, including his own fiancée, Lauren Sánchez.