Amazon.com Inc.\u2019s first batch of production satellites launched toward low-Earth orbit on Monday, the biggest step to date in the company\u2019s effort to establish a business broadcasting internet connectivity from space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first 27 satellites to roll off Amazon\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rocket is set to deploy the satellites at an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometers), Amazon said in a blog post. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From there, they\u2019ll use onboard propulsion systems to ascend to their assigned orbit some 392 miles (631 km) up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The craft are the first in a planned 3,236-satellite constellation that Amazon intends to use to sell internet connectivity to consumers as well as corporate and government clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That business today is dominated by Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX and its Starlink unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazon, which has said it will spend more than $10 billion (R186 billion) on the initiative, had previously tested two satellite prototypes, launched in late 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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