Amazon launches first Project Kuiper satellites

Daniel Puchert

Daniel Puchert

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First Amazon Project Kuiper satellites launched

Amazon.com Inc.’s first batch of production satellites launched toward low-Earth orbit on Monday, the biggest step to date in the company’s effort to establish a business broadcasting internet connectivity from space.

The first 27 satellites to roll off Amazon’s assembly line, riding on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, lifted off at about 7:01 p.m. local time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
 
It looks like most of their upcoming launches have been booked on other people's expendable rockets, with only 12 launches booked with their own New Glenn rocket. It will be interesting to see how the cost of this works out compared to the SpaceX strategy.
 
garyc said:
It looks like most of their upcoming launches have been booked on other people's expendable rockets, with only 12 launches booked with their own New Glenn rocket. It will be interesting to see how the cost of this works out compared to the SpaceX strategy.
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They have to use whatever launch vehicles are available:
Under its granted FCC license, Amazon is required to launch and operate half of its satellites no later than July 30, 2026.
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Source:

Kuiper Systems - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
garyc said:
It looks like most of their upcoming launches have been booked on other people's expendable rockets, with only 12 launches booked with their own New Glenn rocket. It will be interesting to see how the cost of this works out compared to the SpaceX strategy.
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Katy Perry should have offered to launch a few while she was up there.
 
Kuiper is not great, the satellites are in a higher orbit than Starlink so their latency / signal strength is something like 50% less. SpaceX has more money so keeps refreshing their satellites with new ones, they only last a few years before they re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. The lower the satellites the better for speed / latency etc. Kuiper is only just starting so I'm sure old Jeffy B will change things as more customers sign up and money starts coming in.
 
Wrath of Khan MD said:
Kuiper is not great, the satellites are in a higher orbit than Starlink so their latency / signal strength is something like 50% less. SpaceX has more money so keeps refreshing their satellites with new ones, they only last a few years before they re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. The lower the satellites the better for speed / latency etc. Kuiper is only just starting so I'm sure old Jeffy B will change things as more customers sign up and money starts coming in.
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Slightly misleading. Startlink is at 550km, Kuiper is around 630km. They can't be in the same orbit, otherwise they would collide.

Reference:
www.scientificamerican.com

What the Amazon versus SpaceX Satellite Mega Constellation War Means for Earth

Amazon has launched its first operational Project Kuiper satellites in its attempt to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink—but experts remain concerned about space debris and astronomy
www.scientificamerican.com www.scientificamerican.com
 
Queue all the backward South Africans saying we cannot be given access to Kuiper's broadband unless they dish out 30% of the company free to entitled freeloaders...
 
neoprema said:
Queue all the backward South Africans saying we cannot be given access to Kuiper's broadband unless they dish out 30% of the company free to entitled freeloaders...
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Jeff isn't the same sort of dick that Elon is... They'll make special provisions for Jeff.
 
ToxicBunny said:
Jeff isn't the same sort of dick that Elon is... They'll make special provisions for Jeff.
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It should never be about the owner, and whether he is or has a dick. But rather the technology and how it can benefit the country vs demanding to steal 30% of profit for cadres who think they're entitled based on their race but in fact just want to steal..
 
neoprema said:
It should never be about the owner, and whether he is or has a dick. But rather the technology and how it can benefit the country vs demanding to steal 30% of profit for cadres who think they're entitled based on their race but in fact just want to steal..
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Please, let’s not bring Western logic into an Afric… no.. South African problem.
 
neoprema said:
It should never be about the owner, and whether he is or has a dick. But rather the technology and how it can benefit the country vs demanding to steal 30% of profit for cadres who think they're entitled based on their race but in fact just want to steal..
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I'm being horribly sarcastic with my previous response... I absolutely agree with you but we all know that it's more likely Amazon will go through the necessary hoops to launch in a county like SA and also not throw race and bee and such around.
 
Gordon_R said:
Slightly misleading. Startlink is at 550km, Kuiper is around 630km. They can't be in the same orbit, otherwise they would collide.

Reference:
www.scientificamerican.com

What the Amazon versus SpaceX Satellite Mega Constellation War Means for Earth

Amazon has launched its first operational Project Kuiper satellites in its attempt to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink—but experts remain concerned about space debris and astronomy
www.scientificamerican.com www.scientificamerican.com
Click to expand...

no....

how big do you think earth is? 😂 and satellites can maneuverer, they are monitored 24/7

They can be in the same orbit but they don't want to be, they've chosen a higher orbit to get a wider footprint, but that footprint comes at a cost = slower speed, radio wave propagation follows an inverse squared law. To reduce this problem Kuiper satellite antennae's are larger than Starlink = cost more. So they want them higher up so they last longer and server more people.
 
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