It has been years in the making, but Amazon will launch its first Project Kuiper internet satellites into orbit in 2022, according to an experimental license application filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday.
According to the filing, two prototype satellites, dubbed KuiperSat-1 & KuiperSat-2 will launch aboard an experimental rocket RS1 designed by ABL Space Systems in the fourth quarter.
Amazon first revealed its Project Kuiper in 2018, an initiative aims to build a satellite constellation of 3,236 devices to beam internet to low-latency broadband internet coverage.
The company will be able to “test” the communications and networking technology used by the satellites. [the]Final satellite design and help [them]Validate launch operations and mission management processes that will be used during deployment [the] full constellation,’ Amazon vice president Rajeev Badyal said in a blog post announcing the move.
The prototypes will operate at 366 m above the Earth and contain almost all of the technology that was planned for the final internet satellites.
It will be compared to space technology giants SpaceX and OneWeb that have spent years developing their low-orbit constellations.
To date, OneWeb has launched 322 satellites, while SpaceX has sent 1,722 Starlink satellites into orbit.
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Two satellite prototypes, dubbed KuiperSat-1 & KuiperSat-2 in the filing, will launch aboard an experimental rocket called RS1 during the fourth quarter 2022. A test firing of a hall thruster for the first satellites is shown in this picture
Amazon shared the following information in a press release: “KuiperSat-1” and KuiperSat-2 will contain much of the technology, sub-systems and components that power the production version.
Project Kuiper’s team plans to also conduct experimental tests with prototypes of its low cost customer terminals, to see how well they connect to the internet satellites.
Badyal stated, “There is no substitute to on-orbit testing. We expect to learn much given the complexity of operating in such challenging environments.
“We can’t wait for the adventure to begin.”
Plans for the RS1 rocket, designed and built by ABL Space Systems, are also included in the FCC application. It will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Amazon claims it has done ground testing with its terminals and that the technology can achieve maximum throughput speeds up to 400 SPELL OUT MBPStarlink’s beta offers download speeds of up 100 Mbps and 200Mbps.
Plans for the RS1 rocket, which was designed by ABL Space Systems and will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, are also included in the FCC application.
‘We have been working closely with the ABL team for several months and already completed two integration design reviews—including plans for a novel adapter design. Badyal stated that an initial fit check will be conducted in the first quarter of next year.
Amazon also noted that the project has more than 750 employees, some of whom are likely to have been brought on board by Amazon’s purchase earlier this year of Meta’s satellite internet venture.
Amazon announced the first plans for Kuiper Systems in 2018. In July 2018, the FCC approved the construction of the constellation of 3,236 satellites. Amazon claimed it is investing $10 million in this venture.
According to the New York Times Amazon has purchased nine launches through United Launch Alliance for its satellites. However, Badyal said that the company has been in touch with SpaceX for assistance.
The 3,236 satellites could serve approximately 95 percent of the global population and position Amazon as a global ISP provider.
SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, is leading the satellite internet race. It has more than 1,700 devices orbiting the earth.
The prototypes will operate from 366 miles above Earth, and will include almost all of the same technology as the final internet satellites. An infographic explains the communications testing sequence for our prototype satellites.
According to an FCC application, SpaceX had 90,000. Users of its Starlink satellites in August.
However, Amazon and SpaceX are at odds at who gets to own space, as the Jeff Bezos -founded company petitioned the FCC to prohibit SpaceX from modifying parts of its Starlink satellites, CNBC reported in February.
Amazon stated that it supports operators being able to modify their system designs. However, the company claims the changes are too complex and should be rejected. This will result in future Starlink batches being grounded.
Viasat, a US communications company, also petitioned FCC to investigate internet-satellites. They claimed that the constellation poses environmental dangers.
The mission will officially place it against powerhouses like SpaceX and OneWeb, which have spent the past few years building their low-orbit constellations – SpaceX’s includes 1,740 Starlinks and OnWeb has launched 322 satellites to date. This is an artist’s impression of SpaceX’s constellation.
SpaceX and Amazon are at odds over who gets space. SpaceX, however, petitioned the FCC to stop SpaceX from altering parts of its Starlink satellites.
The document cites a range of grievances, from SpaceX’s satellite failure rate to devices colliding with orbit and reentry polluting risks.
John Janka is Viasat’s chief executive officer for global government relations and regulatory. He stated that last year, there were strong concerns expressed by many industry players about the satellites’ orbital debris, safety, and interference.
“It’s not just SpaceX. These concerns are about mega constellations in all – anyone proposing sending thousands or tens of millions of satellites into orbit.
THE BILLIONAIRE SPACE RACE: HOW BRANSON MUSK and BEZOS ARE VOTING TO GALACTIC SUPREMACY
Jeff Bezos standing in front of Blue Origin’s space capsule
The ‘NewSpace’ group, Elon Musk, Sir Richard Branson, and Jeff Bezos all claim they were inspired by 1969’s first moon landing. It was the moment when the US beat the Soviet Union at the space race.
Amazon founder Bezos seemed set to be the first to fly into space. He announced plans to launch aboard Blue Origin Space Company’s New Shepard spacecraft July 20. But Branson beat him.
The British billionaire became Virgin Galactic Astronaut 011 when he reached space on a suborbital flight nine day before Bezos. He made it to space on July 11, in a test flight.
Bezos travelled to space on July 20 with his younger brother Mark, Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old physics student whose dad purchased his ticket, and pioneering female astronaut Wally Funk, 82.
Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has stated that he wants to go into SpaceX. He even said that he would like to ‘die on Mars’. However, he hasn’t said when, but he has purchased a Virgin Galactic ticket for a suborbital flight.
SpaceX was the first to send a fully civilian crew into space. This was with the Inspiration4 mission, which was funded by Jared Isaacman, a billionaire.
Elon Musk, a billionaire who is obsessed with space, built the Dragon capsule and SpaceX rocket that took him to orbit on September 16. It was higher than the International Space Station.
SpaceX appears to be leading in the billionaire space race, with many launches carrying NASA equipment to orbit and partnerships to send tourists up to space by 2021.
On February 6 2018, SpaceX sent rocket towards the orbit of Mars, 140 million miles away, with Musk’s own red Tesla roadster attached.
Elon Musk and his Dragon Crew capsule
SpaceX has also taken two teams of astronauts to the International Space Station with crews from NASA and ESA.|International Space Station, with crew from NASA, ESA and JAXA, the Japanese space agency.
SpaceX has been sending 60 satellites into orbit in order to help create its Starlink network. It is currently in beta and provides high-speed internet to rural areas.
Virgin Galactic and Branson have a different approach to conquering outer space. It has repeatedly, and successfully, conducted test flights of the Virgin Galactic’s Unity space plane.
The first took place in December 2018 and the latest on May 22, with the flight accelerating to more than 2,000 miles per hour (Mach 2.7).
More than 600 affluent customers to date, including celebrities Brad Pitt and Katy Perry, have reserved a $250,000 (£200,000) seat on one of Virgin’s space trips. The final tickets will cost $350,000.
Branson stated previously that he believes Elon Musk will win the race to Mars using his private rocket firm SpaceX.
Richard Branson and the Virgin Galactic craft
SpaceShipTwo can hold six passengers and two pilots. Each passenger has the same seat position with two large windows, one to the side and one to the overhead.
The spaceship measures 60 feet in length and has a cabin measuring 90 inches in diameter. This allows astronauts maximum freedom to float in zero gravity.
It climbs to 50,000ft, before the rocket engine ignites. SpaceShipTwo separates from White Knight II, its carrier craft once it has travelled 50 miles.
Passengers are ‘astronauts” when they reach the Karman Line, which is the boundary of Earth’s atmosphere.
The spaceship will then fly suborbitally with approximately six minutes of weightlessness. The entire flight will take approximately 1.5 hours.
Bezos revealed in April 2017 that he finances Blue Origin with around $1 billion (£720 million) of Amazon stock each year.
The system includes a crew capsule that is pressurized and mounted on top of a reusable New Shepard booster rocket.
The capsule reached 65 miles (104 kms) at its peak. This was just short of the official threshold for space. It landed vertically seven minutes following liftoff.
Blue Origin is working on New Glenn, a next-generation heavy lift rocket that will compete against the SpaceX Falcon 9.