After Starlink, Amazon‘s space ambitions took a giant leap forward this Friday, as it successfully launched its first two test satellites for its Project Kuiper, a global internet service in the making. Flying atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, the prototypes are the frontrunners of a large constellation Amazon aims to deploy. With nearly 5,000 Starlink satellites already orbiting Earth, Elon Musk‘s SpaceX has been the only contender in the space-based broadband arena. But now, Amazon is officially in the race.

Amazon has committed to a $10 billion investment in Project Kuiper

Amazon has been relatively hush-hush about the details surrounding these initial Kuiper satellites, produced in the company’s Redmond, Washington plant. However, what’s clear is that Amazon isn’t merely dipping its toes in these cosmic waters. The company has committed to a whopping $10 billion investment in Project Kuiper and has regulatory deadlines to meet. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is mandating that half of the planned 3,236 Kuiper satellites be operational by 2026.

One of the intriguing aspects of Amazon’s foray into this sector is its focus on affordability. The company plans to manufacture consumer terminals at a cost of $400 each, notably cheaper than SpaceX’s $599 Starlink terminals. This move could potentially make the technology more accessible to individual consumers, aligning with Amazon’s broad customer base.

But the journey to space isn’t without its hiccups. Amazon is currently facing a shareholder lawsuit regarding its bulk launch deal for 83 rocket launches, a record-breaking commercial procurement. Critics claim that Amazon failed to consider more cost-effective options, like SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rockets, which have been central to Starlink’s quick ascent. Time will tell how these two giants fare against each other, and if there will ever be a third contender in this race.

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Amazon, the world’s leading e-commerce platform, has announced that the company has secured nine satellite launch vehicles from United Launch Alliance (ULA) to support the deployment of a broadband internet initiative named Project Kuiper.

ULA, which is a joint venture of Boing and Lockheed Martin, will use the Atlas V series of rockets for launching the Kuiper missions. Amazon’s planned constellation would include 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit.

The company has said that it will invest $10 billion in bringing high-speed broadband to consumers, businesses, and governments. The project faces stiff competition from the Starlink network by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

In a statement, Jeff Bezos said: “We’re determined to make affordable broadband a reality for customers and communities around the world. ULA is a fantastic partner that’s successfully launched dozens of missions for commercial and government customers, and we’re grateful for their support of Kuiper.”

ULA president and CEO Tory Bruno said in a statement, “The scope and scale of the initiative will also provide an enormous boost to U.S. leadership in space, helping create jobs and providing steady, reliable demand for the launch services industry.”

The company has declined to reveal the value of the launch contract. It is also not disclosing how many Kuiper satellites will launch on each mission, nor what version of ULA’s Atlas V rocket it will use.

Amazon has not yet released a timeline for when Kuiper launches will begin. Since the FCC authorized those launches last year, Amazon is required to deploy half of its planned satellites within six years – or about 1,600 in orbit by July 2026.

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