The first pair of prototype satellites for Amazon’s (AMZN.O) planned Kuiper internet network were launched into space on Friday from Florida, the company’s first step before it deploys thousands more into orbit to beam internet service globally and compete with SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket emblazoned with the Amazon logo lifted off from Cape Canaveral shortly after 2 p.m. Eastern time (1800 GMT), and the 196-foot-tall rocket arced away from the coast of Florida, climbing into the skies above the Atlantic Ocean.
A company statement said the two Kuiper test satellites were deployed into low-Earth orbit. Amazon’s Mission Operations Center confirmed contact with the satellites and is working to send the data. The livestream hosted by ULA, the Boeing-Lockheed joint venture that operates the rocket, was cut off after the Atlas’ first stage finished firing its engines and pushed off into the Florida sky. It’s unclear when the company will resume streaming, but in a post-launch statement, ULA said it had “precisely delivered” the satellites and they were functioning as intended.
For Amazon, which has vowed to invest $10 billion in Kuiper, the satellite launch is just the beginning of its efforts to bring broadband internet to unserved or underserved communities around the globe. But the company faces competition from Elon Musk’s Starlink and OneWeb’s plan to deploy a similar satellite constellation.
To speed up the deployment of its network, Amazon last year signed a bulk launch deal worth as much as $83 billion with multiple rocket companies, including Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Europe’s Arianespace. The agreement, dubbed Project Kuiper, is history’s largest commercial rocket procurement. The company has booked 83 launches across these companies, and the project is expected to take several years to complete.
As the Kuiper network develops, Amazon can add real-world data on its satellite technology and begin planning production-grade satellites built at its new factory in Kirkland, Washington. The company hopes to start testing the system on a limited basis with customers next year and launch full service by 2024.
Analysts say the test satellites will help provide valuable information on how well the Kuiper satellite system can work in space and whether it can avoid potential problems in the future, such as collisions with other satellites. The company could also learn how to optimize the satellites’ positioning and performance in low-Earth orbit from the test. That’s important because the network must stay positioned precisely to send data between each satellite and a customer terminal on Earth. A satellite drifting too far from its targeted position can slow down or interrupt internet connectivity. This is a vital part of the challenge in building a mega constellation such as Kuiper. It’s something that’s already been a problem for the Starlink constellation, which has suffered several collisions over the years.