Amazon is now prepared to compete in the burgeoning satellite internet market with plans for their own service early next year. According to a press release, Amazon is getting ready to deploy two test satellites for its Project Kuiper satellite internet constellation, which will offer commercial internet service, much like Elon Musk-led SpaceX’s Starlink.
The company will launch two prototype satellites into orbit using a Vulcan Centaur rocket from the United Launch Alliance (ULA), designated Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2. The e-commerce giant will thereafter be able to use these two satellites to do a quick test. 3,236 satellites will eventually make up Amazon’s constellation in Earth’s orbit. Two of those satellites will be sent into orbit in the early part of 2023.
The two test satellites, which are supposed to be concluded by the end of this year, are still not complete, thus Amazon is still behind schedule. Additionally, ULA has not yet begun construction on the rocket that will launch these two satellites into orbit. However, the company has obtained an FCC license for the service that is valid through 2026. Amazon has a lot on its plate in terms of planning and putting in place a vast network of more than 3,000 satellites with just three years to spare.
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