Today, October 6, 2023, the missione Protoflight of the Amazon’s Project Kuiper. The US giant takes the prototypes into orbit KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 (via ULA’s Atlas V 501 rocket), but the goal is to reach i 3.200 satellites by 2029/30.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper kicks off: the first two satellites will be in orbit on October 6th
Position yourself at an altitude of 500 kilometersthe two satellites will allow collect real data for the first time about the functioning of the space-Earth communication system. Since this is a first for Amazon, it can only be a testof the first real phase of the Kuiper Project with which the Seattle giant aims to bring broadband satellite connectivity to the most remote areas. Which is one of the objectives of SpaceX by Elon Musk, whose service Starlink – with over 4,800 satellites – however, it has already been active for two years or more.
Once released into orbit, Amazon will take full control of the satellites to make sure everything is working properly (on all the solar panels, which are crucial for power generation). Once this is done, the connection to the Internet will be established and tests will begin with the exchange of data between the satellites and AWS servers. The two prototypes, once the mission is completed, will be deorbited and they will burn in the Earth’s atmosphere.
As previously highlighted, the main goal of Project Kuiper is to provide satellite Internet service (prototypes of the terminals for homes and offices have already been shown). In this regard, Amazon is moving to make agreements with operators: the one already formalized is with the Vodafone Groupwhich wants to extend the coverage of 4G and 5G connectivity in the markets in which it operates.
ULA’s Atlas V 501 rocket will launch from Space Force Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The event can be followed live on YouTube at this address starting from 8pm Europen time.