The worldʼs largest e-commerce marketplace “Amazon” has begun launching its internet satellites into orbit. It plans to deploy a large network of satellites for satellite internet called “Project Kuiper”, also known as the future megaconstellation.
An “Atlas V” rocket launched from a spaceport in Florida, carrying 27 of the projectʼs satellites into low-Earth orbit. This is the first of more than 80 launches that will launch about 3 200 satellites. But it was preceded by a test in October 2023, when two test satellites were launched to test the technology.
The goal of the “Kuiper” project is to create a full-fledged Internet network: to transmit data from the Internet to ground stations, then to satellites, from there to users, and back. “Amazon” promises the first services for customers by the end of 2025.
While “Project Kuiper” plans are ambitious, it wonʼt set a record. “Amazon” main competitor — Elon Muskʼs “SpaceX” — already has more than 7 200 satellites providing internet around the world. And “Starlink” is growing — the company has launched 31 this year alone, with several more planned in the near future.
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