SpaceX has been alone in the satellite internet business since it began its space journey in 2018. During this time, it has launched thousands of satellites that provide coverage almost worldwide. From now on, it won’t be alone up there.
Amazon’s Kuiper satellites will soon make their debut in orbit. The company is preparing to deploy its first two satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, on their Protoflight mission, scheduled for launch on October 6.
The Kuiper project is Amazon’s response to SpaceX’s Starlink service. Currently, their plans involve launching 3,200 satellites over the next six years to form a constellation that can provide Internet connectivity even in remote areas where traditional providers cannot reach.
Amazon is five years late to the game, but they know what they’re doing
KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 mark Amazon’s first version of satellites and will provide the company with a significant learning opportunity: to see if their Earth-based tests replicate in space.
The Kuiper project’s ground team will also have the chance to observe how the network functions, as Protoflight will test the connection of satellites to Kuiper’s ground network and customer terminals. Moreover, it will serve as a rehearsal for subsequent satellite launch operations.
Amazon had previously announced its intention to send the first two Kuiper satellites into space aboard a ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket. However, ULA faced delays in the development of the new rocket, so the satellites will be transported to space aboard an Atlas V instead.
ULA will deploy the satellites at an altitude of 500 km, and then the Kuiper team will begin testing the onboard systems, confirming that all electronic components work, establishing the first contact, and deploying the satellites’ solar panels.
Afterward, the team will send data back and forth to test the network. Amazon states that both satellites will be deorbited at the end of the mission. In other words, once the mission is complete, they will be sent back to Earth.
