United Launch Alliance should send 27 Kuiper satellites in a low terrestrial orbit while Amazon begins a large -scale deployment of its satellite network satellite network
Amazon
Amazon satellite Internet The division, Kuiper, should launch 27 satellites in orbit today-the first stage of the construction of a network which, hopes that this will soon compete on Starlink, but has a photo? We dig into the situation.
What is Kuiper?
In short, Kuiper is – or will be – a network of thousands of satellite This internet traffic bundle in the world. This would allow people from distant regions to access the Internet even without local infrastructure.
The idea is exactly the same as Starlink, the Spacex– Company which already provides such a service under the direction of Elon Musk. Project Kuiper is a subsidiary of Amazon which was created in 2019 and belongs to a different billionaire: Jeff Bezos.
Amazon did not respond to New scientist 'S of the interview request, but the company previously declared that Its satellites will move more than 27,000 kilometers per hour And surround the earth about every 90 minutes. To connect to the Internet, customers will have to Buy a small terminal And install it on the roof of a building.
When will he be launched? And how can I look at it?
Kuiper calls for this first mission Ka-01, for Kuiper Atlas 1, and it is Scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on April 9.
The satellites will be transported by orbit by an Atlas V rocket from the United Alliance of the Space Force Cape Canaveral station, in Florida. Amazon says it will be the heaviest payload ever launched on this profession.
United Launch Alliance plans to live the flight On his websiteFrom 20 minutes before launch.
Is this Kuiper's first launch?
Kuiper put in orbit two prototypes in orbit in October 2023, but this is the first launch of the final version, which, according to the company, is “a significant upgrade”.
It has better solar panels, propulsion systems and communication equipment, but astronomers will be grateful that another new feature is a dielectric mirror film designed to disperse reflected sun. Other companies have launched reflective satellites that seriously affect imagingThat astronomers have said “is really an existential problem for astronomy”.
Who is ahead, Starlink or Kuiper?
Starlink. In a way.
Kuiper obtained authorization from the Federal Communications American Commission to operate 3,236 satellites, and the company said that it would start to rent Internet connections to users once 578 satellites have been launched.
So, if the launch of today is successful, the company will still have 551 additional satellites to send in space before being able to start generating income.
The company claims to have obtained more than 80 launches with a range of companies to deploy additional satellites. Ironically, certain launches will be managed by SpaceX.
Meanwhile, SpaceX began to launch satellites in 2019, and said he has more than 6750 satellites in orbitserving millions of customers. The company also develops a network of military satellites called Starshield, which would have contracts with the US government.
Can Kuiper catch up?
He certainly has a lot of ground to catch up. Starlink's advance is important and it has the obvious advantage of being owned by a rocket launching company.
Although it does not belong to Amazon, Bezos has Space Company Blue Origin At his disposal, which plays a similar game of catching up with SpaceX in the world of reusable rockets. This could help fill the gap.
In other areas, Amazon may have the advantage. It already has hundreds of millions of users who buy and disseminate regularly on the site, and who may be tempted to add the internet by satellite via various offers or sessions.
In addition, hundreds of millions of people worldwide do not have a reliable internet connection, so there is a market. Only time will tell us if it is large enough to support two major competing satellite operators, not to mention small players like the Oneweb, partially belonging to the United Kingdom.
Some companies also work on non -moderate solar energy aircraft that may Stroll through the upper atmosphere for months bothThis could potentially reduce satellites on the cost.
One thing is clear, however: it will certainly be a boon for consumers to have a competitor on the market.
