USA - series of Kuiper satellites flew into low Earth orbit on April 28 on an Atlas V rocket, opening the race for satellite internet coverage between Amazon and SpaceX.
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:01 p.m. on April 28 (6:01 a.m. on April 29, Hanoi time), carrying 27 broadband satellites belonging to Amazon's "Project Kuiper" into low Earth orbit (LEO), according to Space. This is the first of more than 80 planned launches to build the Project Kuiper super constellation, which includes more than 3,200 satellites. That’s a big number, but not a record. SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, which provides internet service to customers around the world, currently has more than 7,200 active satellites.
Starlink, arguably Project Kuiper’s biggest competitor, is growing steadily. SpaceX has launched 31 Starlink missions so far this year, with more planned. In fact, one Starlink launch took place less than three hours before the Atlas V rocket took off, and another less than four hours later.
If all goes according to plan, the Atlas V will deploy 27 Project Kuiper satellites at an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometers) above Earth, slightly lower than the 340 miles (550 kilometers) at which SpaceX’s Starlink satellites operate, according to CNN. Both Kuiper and Starlink satellites operate in the LEO region, closer to Earth than traditional communications satellites. For example, companies that provide Wi-Fi to remote areas or in-flight service for airlines (like Inmarsat and Carlsbad in London or Viasat in California) operate satellites in geosynchronous orbit, which is 22,000 miles above the Earth. At that altitude, data takes much longer to reach customers. As a result, low-altitude satellites like Starlink and Kuiper have a big speed advantage.
SpaceX is leading the development of the Starlink network for a number of reasons. The megaconstellation connects homes and businesses in remote areas and provides connectivity to some aircraft and even astronauts flying in orbiting spacecraft. Amazon will have a hard time breaking SpaceX’s dominance, especially at the beginning of Kuiper’s deployment, as it needs time and money to scale up the service.
According to Amazon, Project Kuiper will begin providing coverage to customers later this year. The April 28 launch was the second in the Project Kuiper program. An Atlas V rocket carried two satellite prototypes into orbit in October 2023 on a test mission designed to demonstrate the technology and design of the satellites in the constellation. The majority of the remaining 80-plus launches will be carried out by the Atlas V and its successor, ULA’s Vulcan Centaur.
(According to Space, CNN)