The first set of satellites Amazon plans to send to space along with Verizon will be launched next fall, according to an experimental launch license filed Monday.

The company plans to send up to 3,236 satellites as part of Project Kuiper, a satellite-internet service that will serve rural communities that lack terrestrial infrastructure.

Two satellites -- called KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 -- are prototypes that will be launched by United Launch Alliance on rockets from ABL Space Systems. They will house and test the technology needed for the entire project, including antennas, modems, and power and propulsion.

The Federal Communications Commission gave Amazon a deadline to launch half of all its satellites by 2026.

Project Kuiper is the second pursuit in space for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns Blue Origin, which last week announced plans with Sierra Nevada Corp. for a private space station called Orbital Reef.

The venture will rival Starlink, SpaceX owner Elon Musk's satellite-based broadband service, and others aiming to provide high-speed Internet to customers from low Earth orbit.

Related Links
The latest information about the Commercial Satellite Industry

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

NEOM Tech and Digital Holding Company and OneWeb sign $200m JV for satellite network
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (SPX) Oct 28, 2021
NEOM Tech and Digital Holding Company - the first holding company to be established as a subsidiary of NEOM - and OneWeb, the global communications network powered from space, have signed a $200 million (SAR 750m) joint venture agreement to bring high-speed satellite connectivity to NEOM, Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and neighboring East African countries. The partnership will see the deployment of OneWeb's Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, which will not only provide the ra ... read more