Amazon has surprised many by teaming up with its competitor, SpaceX, to launch its Project Kuiper satellites. Despite being rivals in the satellite internet service sector, Amazon has purchased three Falcon 9 launches from SpaceX to propel its Project Kuiper satellites into orbit.
Project Kuiper, initiated by Amazon in 2019, aims to establish a global satellite network to deliver broadband internet connectivity. With over 3,000 satellites in its plan, Amazon is obligated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch and operate at least 50% of these satellites by 2026.
In a bid to meet this deadline, Amazon is intensifying its efforts by collaborating with its competitor, SpaceX, which is pursuing its own satellite venture. In addition to SpaceX, Amazon has also secured contracts with United Launch Alliance, ArianeGroup, and Blue Origin to deploy Project Kuiper.
The three Falcon 9 rockets are scheduled to commence launches in mid-2025. Amazon has already launched some prototype satellites and anticipates having enough satellites deployed to initiate early customer trials in the latter half of 2024.
