Project Kuiper is Amazon’s latest initiative, if done successfully, it will provide internet to “unserved and underserved communities around the world.”
The ambitious plan is to launch a constellation of 3,236 satellites into low Earth orbit.
The so-called Project Kuiper initiative first came to light after GeekWire spotted that Kuiper Systems LLC recently made three sets of filings with the ITU. The international organization in charge of coordinating satellite orbits. Amazon confirmed that Kuiper Systems is one of its many upcoming projects.
Amazon is the latest big name company which plans to use strings of satellites to offer broadband.
Project Kuiper will provide satellites and three different altitudes; there will be 784 satellites at 367 miles, 1,296 satellites at 379 miles, and 1,156 satellites at 391 miles. These are strategically in place to provide internet to 95 percent of Earth’s population.
It is still unknown if Amazon will be building their satellite armada or if they will use a third party. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has his own spaceflight company called Blue Origin, which can be potentially used to launch the satellites into orbit.
Last year, Amazon launched AWS Ground Station, a cloud computing service that will enable space-to-ground communications. The Ground Station can be used as a hub for communication between Earth and the satellites.
No time frame had been given for when Amazon’s satellites might be sent into orbit. Federal Communications Commission’s approval will be needed before it can do so. The FCC will consider issues such as orbital congestion as well as Amazon’s plans for decommissioning its satellites, to prevent the space around the Earth from filling up with dangerous junk.
[…] you invested in Amazon, Walmart, or Apple alone, you would now have $10 million. Of course, this is a large number. The […]
[…] turn an idea into a solid product. Patience is required to avoid quitting when the going gets tough. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, was very patient when building his company. Bezos, while worth billions, operated his company out […]