The initial phase of Amazon’s Project Kuiper LEO satellite constellation is underway, marked by the launch of 27 satellites on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at the start of the week.
As the first of the promised 3,236 satellites, these launches mark progress for Amazon’s $10 billion Project Kuiper, a 2019 initiative to beam broadband internet globally to consumers, businesses, and governments.
It is expected to be a direct rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink, AT&T, and T-Mobile. The goal is to reach between 400 and 500 million households with broadband Internet connectivity in underserved areas.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy posted to X (Twitter), “While this is the first step in a much longer journey to launch the rest of our low Earth orbit constellation, it represents an incredible amount of invention and hard work. Am really proud of the collective team.”
Project Kuiper has faced several delays. The Monday launch was initially planned for April 9 but was delayed due to inclement weather. It has also faced production issues, with only a few dozen satellites developed. The program is also a year behind schedule.
Based on the current pace, Project Kuiper appears unlikely to meet the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s requirement of having over 1,600 LEO satellites in orbit by the summer of 2026, and the company is likely to seek an extension.
ULA CEO Tory Bruno revealed in a recent interview that up to five more Kuiper launches are being considered for this year. Amazon’s 2020 FCC filing outlined a phased rollout, starting with service in some northern and southern regions once 578 satellites are in orbit, and then expanding coverage towards the equator with subsequent launches.
FCC Spectrum Sharing Rules Review
The launch was the same day the FCC voted to open a review of the decades-old spectrum-sharing regime between satellite systems.
The U.S. telecom regulator is undertaking the review to facilitate more intensive utilisation of spectrum for space activities. It aims to overcome existing power usage reductions from the 1990s that restrict satellite system coverage.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the power limits “hamper satellite broadband by degrading signal quality, reducing coverage, limiting capacity, and making it harder to share spectrum with other satellite systems.”
“It is imperative the commission does everything possible to clear the way for American innovation and investment in space excellence,” the FCC said.
