As Space-based Internet Competition, Amazon Signs Kuiper Project

“On April 5, local time, Amazon announced that it has signed the largest batch of commercial rocket launch plans, securing space on 83 rockets over the next five years to launch 3,236 satellites for the construction of WI-FI in the sky.

Amazon will compete directly with SpaceX and the UK government-owned OneWeb to set up a constellation of broadband-providing satellites, the company has announced. SpaceX has 2,110 satellites in orbit, while OneWeb has launched 428 of a planned 648 in its initial batch.The plan, Project Kuiper, will not launch until the fourth quarter this year.

The Amazon founder has his own spaceflight company, but the company will only be providing a portion of the capacity required to put Project Kuiper into orbit. The launch partners of the Kuiper program include France, the United States, and other countries. The person in charge said that he is very happy to have reached a deep understanding with the current partners.With competition among space-based internet companies, cooperation is also increasing. The U.K.-based OneWeb was forced to delay plans for a launch in March after the war in Ukraine poisoned relationships with the Russian space agency. The company ended up turning to SpaceX for support, signing a deal for an undisclosed amount to put its satellites on the back of its competitor’s rockets.”