Introduction
Amazon has decided to become of global Internet pioneer by creating a project to provide high-speed Internet using space.
Space is increasingly being explored by mankind, which seeks to use all its potential resources and opportunities. Today Amazon, the world-famous online store, has come to the conclusion that it is time to conquer not only Earth. ABL Space Systems will help in this one of the largest companies in the world.
Amazon’s activity is closely related to the Internet, so the company has decided to protect its field with the help of innovative technology – providing the Internet via satellites. Interestingly, the company decided to become a provider, concluding a contract for as many as 3,236 satellites! The company announced the launch date of the first prototypes of the Kuiper global internet system, which will compete with Starlink (Grush, 2021). As writes ArsTechnica, referring to the application of the Federal Communications Commission, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 satellites should be launched in the fourth quarter of next year.
The spacecraft will be launched from a mobile launcher in Florida on a never-flown RS1 rocket, which is being developed by ABL Space Systems with the support of Lockheed Martin, into a near-Earth orbit of 590 kilometers (Grush, 2021). The satellites will communicate with ground stations for tracking, telemetry, and control command transmission in South America and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as with a subscriber terminal and a single gateway in Texas.
Shortest Terms
Amazon emphasizes that KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 will allow testing of technologies that will be used in the final satellite design. The first production Kuiper satellites could be ready by early 2024, with the possibility of starting network access services in 2025 (Grush, 2021). ArsTechnica recalls that the Federal Communications Commission has approved Amazon to launch 3,236 spacecraft.
In September, Bloomberg wrote that Kuiper Systems, a subsidiary of Amazon, in an appeal to the Federal Communications Commission, commented sharply on SpaceX, accusing it of violating and ignoring common rules. The Jeffrey Bezos-controlled company said that Elon Musk’s company takes the position that “the rules are for other people.” Formally, the litigation between the parties has to do with the orbital parameters of the Kuiper and Starlink global Internet access satellites.
Internet for All
“Amazon plans to work with other companies that support the idea of covering the entire surface of the Earth with satellite Internet” (Amazon Staff, 2021). According to the head of Amazon, putting satellites into service and launching them is a task that will cost billions of dollars. In late October, Amazon tested satellite engines to maneuver through space. According to the company, the two prototypes have the same functions as the finalized satellites. They will operate at an altitude of 590 kilometers above the Earth (Estes, 2021). After the tests, the company claimed that the technology provides a maximum throughput of up to 400 Mbps (Estes, 2021).
The satellites will be launched using an experimental rocket RS1, which is being developed by the startup ABL Space Systems. The company promised that after testing is completed, it will send the prototypes into the Earth’s atmosphere so that they burn up and do not litter outer space.
Corporation’s Plans
If Amazon manages to get the approval of the regulator, the size of the satellite constellation in the framework of the Kuiper project will grow to 7,774 units (Estes, 2021). Interestingly, the satellites will be located very close to Earth, in a near-Earth orbit. This should provide not only coverage of the entire planet but also high-speed internet. For experiments and research, the company is going to launch two test satellites as early as next year. The main commercial interest of Amazon is to ensure the quality of the Internet, which will allow access to the network even in the low-income parts of the planet.
An important note is that there is some correlation with SpaceX projects. The company Elon Musk was able to implement about 1700 satellites so that the results are recognized as successful. Unlike Musk Corporation, Amazon plans to make do with a relatively small number of satellites, namely 3236. According to project managers, such resources are enough to realize the ultimate goal.
Conclusions
The following conclusions about the relationship between space and man emerge from the latest news:
- Amazon bought the satellite internet development team from Facebook in July 2021. It will join an existing team of 500 people (Estes, 2021).
- Amazon plans to launch 3,236 satellites into Earth orbit and is going to spend $10 billion to build infrastructure in the U.S. by 2030. The company must launch half of the satellites by 2026 (Estes, 2021).
- Elon Musk’s Starlink has been testing satellite internet since the fall of 2020. Britain’s OneWeb has raised $500 million to launch all of its satellites into orbit by the end of 2021 (Estes, 2021).
Internet problems are still being seen in continental Africa and undeveloped countries. So do you think that the global corporation has decided to develop in the right direction? Share your opinion in the comment section.
References
Amazon Staff. 2021. Project Kuiper announces plans and launch provider for prototype satellites. Web.
Estes, Adam Clark. 2021. The complicated promise of Amazon’s space internet. Vox. Web.
Grush, Loren. 2021. Amazon’s Project Kuiper hopes to launch first two prototype satellites in late 2022. The Verge. Web.