The first 27 satellites in Amazon’s efforts to create space-based internet networks have finally reached orbit, holding a way for the company to try to compete with Elon Musk’s well-established StarLink service.
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket was lifted late Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to deliver the satellite into orbit around Earth. They are the first batches expected to reach a total of 3,226 Kuiper satellites in the network.
Even that would turn pale compared to the mask network. Starlink is already made up of over 8,000 satellites, and has entered the space with the launch of 250 SpaceX. Currently, the service has over 5 million users.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says there is “a lot of winners” in the satellite internet space, claiming that his company is more focused on “unserved communities around the world.”
Amazon is due to release the first half of its network by mid-2026, set up by the Federal Communications Commission. ULA CEO Tory Bruno told Reuters there could be five more Kuipers released this year. However, the Kuiper project is reportedly working through production issues, which could hinder progress towards its goal of filling the constellations.
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