Amazon Set To Launch First Operational Satellites For Project Kuiper Network (geekwire.com)
- Reference: 0176908763
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/04/03/0237250/amazon-set-to-launch-first-operational-satellites-for-project-kuiper-network
- Source link: https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-ula-satellites-project-kuiper/
> ULA said the three-hour window for the Atlas V rocket's liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida is scheduled to open at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) that day. ULA is planning a [2]live stream of launch coverage via its website starting about 20 minutes ahead of liftoff. Amazon [3]said next week's mission -- known as Kuiper-1 or KA-1 (for Kuiper Atlas 1) -- will put 27 Kuiper satellites into orbit at an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometers).
>
> ULA launched two prototype Kuiper satellites into orbit for testing in October 2023, but KA-1 will mark Amazon's first full-scale launch of a batch of operational satellites designed to bring high-speed internet access to millions of people around the world. [...] According to Amazon, the Kuiper satellite design has gone through significant upgrades since the prototypes were launched in 2023. Amazon's primary manufacturing facility is in Kirkland, Wash., with some of the components produced at Project Kuiper's headquarters in nearby Redmond.
>
> The mission profile for KA-1 calls for deploying the satellites safely in orbit and establishing ground-to-space contact. The satellites would then use their electric propulsion systems to settle into their assigned orbits at an altitude of 392 miles (630 kilometers), under the management of Project Kuiper's mission operations team in Redmond. Under the current terms of its license from the Federal Communications Commission, Amazon is due to launch 3,232 Kuiper satellites by 2029, with half of those satellites going into orbit by mid-2026.
[1] https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-ula-satellites-project-kuiper/
[2] https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/next-launch/atlas-v-kuiper-1
[3] https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/innovation-at-amazon/project-kuiper-satellite-internet-first-launch
Good (Score:3)
Can we get on with it?
I'd love to have it, because I live rurally and it would be a useful tool to independence from a basically-monopolostic telecoms provider in my country.
Like I'd love to have Starlink, but I refuse to have anything to do with the guy in charge of it, to the point that it has perpetually tainted that brand and earned itself a place in my permanent blacklist.
And Kuiper have been "launching soon" for about 3 years now. I'm not claiming it's run by an angel either, but at least he's not openly dumb with it.
I fear, however, that it will be limited in bandwidth, expensive and tied into Amazon services somehow before long, which means it won't actually be competitive when it *could* be. A bit like Starlink went from "unlimited" to all kinds of restrictions and how the business model is so much more expensive (and the only one with Ethernet) to get a few more guarantees out of it.
Re: (Score:2)
If you dislike Musk, do you really want to be supporting Bezos instead?
Re: Good (Score:2)
I mean, Bezos hasnâ(TM)t been doing Nazi salutes, destroying important parts of our government, and fucking up the system that gives wellbeing to people in their old age, or disability. Donâ(TM)t get me wrong - I donâ(TM)t have any illusions that Bezos is a wonder, in fact, heâ(TM)s probably just smart enough to stay in the shadows while Musk destroys himself, but Musk has shown his hand.
Re: (Score:2)
"at least he's not openly dumb"
Musk is, unfortunately, not dumb. I think he is demented. I hope his saner-sounding brother helps him fix himself.
Alternatively, would it be possible that in four years Musk shows us how he was actually using Trump, and was also taming down Trump's awful plans, and Musk has secretly been a good guy all along ?
Could we forgive him or has he caused to much damage for his motivation to be relevant ?
How many internet satellite providers do we need? (Score:3)
Do we REALLY need additional providers for satellite internet? Competition is great, but given the huge capital cost to play in that game and the additional "space clutter" in orbit, does it make sense to have multiple satellite constellations providing essentially the same function? Does it benefit society or is it wasteful hubris?
I don't consume or intend to consume satellite internet so I don't really have a horse in this race.
Best,
Re: How many internet satellite providers do we ne (Score:2)
Yes we do. The only provider at the moment has demonstrated that theyâ(TM)re willing to pull the plug on you, or even actively provide information to your enemies if they decide they donâ(TM)t like your country. We need several more constellations, and we need them from several countries.
Re: (Score:2)
If the only provider is Elon Musk, then yes we need competition.
The only viable alternative would be for StarLink to be un-bundled, that is Starlink would just operate the satellites and other ISPs would sell service to consumers. Similar to how DSL works in most of Europe.
I'd say the bigger concern with all these mega constellations is the risk of environmental damage and of collisions.
ULA are still going? (Score:2)
Who knew?
Does the math add up? (Score:4, Interesting)
> Amazon is due to launch 3,232 Kuiper satellites by 2029, with half of those satellites going into orbit by mid-2026.
That gives them something like 500 days to launch 1600 satellites. If they launch in batches of 27 satellites, that's 60 launches -- one every 8.33 days. Who launches at that pace, or even has a credible path to get to that pace quickly?
Last year, there were a bit over 250 launches to orbit across the entire world. More than half were Falcon 9 (another 4 were Starship). All Chinese launches together added up to 68. We are currently on pace for about 270 launches in 2025, but it seems unlikely that Amazon will book almost a quarter of that capacity -- and so they don't seem likely to hit their 2026 target for satellites on orbit.
Re: (Score:3)
They've got contracts with several launch providers - after some shareholders threatening to sue them for not using the most cost-effective provider, they even ended up contracting a few SpaceX launces. But yes, other than SpaceX, the rockets they're launching on are all just reaching the operational stage, and so a long way from reaching full launch cadence. So it seems unlikely that they will meet those deadlines. I imaging the play is to launch as many as they can and then lobby for an extension, on the
Re: Does the math add up? (Score:2)
SpaceX is launching roughly once every 4 days at the moment. Amazon though is not using their rockets though, or in fact, any currently reusable rockets. Iâ(TM)d bet that Amazon will be lucky to get 5 stacks of Kuipers in orbit by the end of the year. Blue origin do of course have New Glenn reuse in the pipeline, but I expect itâ(TM)ll take another few launches before they can nail it reliably, and then itâ(TM)ll be another couple of years before they have a fleet of them that can launch w