Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce company, has given up its pride in its satellite Internet business. It has decided to use competitors’ rockets for some satellite launches.
According to Bloomberg News on the 2nd (local time), Amazon announced on the 1st that it has signed a contract to launch satellites three times using SpaceX’s rockets to its space Internet business, Project Kuiper.
Amazon has decided to launch three satellites in mid-2025 using SpaceX’s rocket Falcon 9. It did not disclose the cost of using the SpaceX rocket.
SpaceX is a space company led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and already provides satellite Internet services by launching 5,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit through the Starlink business.
“Project Kuiper” is a similar business to Starlink, and SpaceX is a competitor to Amazon. Amazon has reached out to competitors to launch satellites.
Amazon’s policy appears to be due to delays in the satellite Internet business due to delays in rocket supply.
Amazon originally planned to launch 3,300 satellites over the next 10 years and start satellite Internet service by the end of next year.
To that end, it announced at least 68 rocket launch deals with three launch providers – United Launch Alliance in 2022, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Europe’s Arianspace – to get Project Kuiper satellites into orbit.
However, the contract has not yet been implemented and is experiencing delays.
In October, two Project Kuiper test satellites were launched and exploded aboard ULA’s Atlas V rocket, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
