Amazon has already completed six successful launches of the first 27 Kuiper satellites. If successful, this would be the most serious step towards developing a global space-based internet network. This launch marks the initial phase of a larger ambition to deploy a total of 3,226 satellites, designed to provide internet access to “unserved and underserved communities around the world.”
The release came as details emerged about significant production issues that threaten to sabotage the project‘s current momentum. Each of these challenges will undoubtedly impact Amazon’s plans to deploy the Kuiper constellation in a timely fashion. The latter is the company’s hope of jockeying for position against Elon Musk’s Starlink service. Today, Starlink claims more than 5 million users and dominates the satellite internet sector.
Sean O’Kane is a reporter covering business and technology for the transportation industry. He notes that Amazon’s actions are just a piece of a larger puzzle, as dozens of other companies and organizations join the race to deliver internet from space. While Starlink has garnered the most attention and momentum, that Amazon is now joining this race underscores a developing appetite for satellite-based internet connectivity.
The first batch of Kuiper satellites has been launched successfully! Continued manufacturing challenges make the road ahead murky. These upstream and downstream challenges will likely delay Amazon’s efforts to build out its constellation and become a strong competitor against its much more established competitors.
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