SpaceX will take some Amazon satellites to space2023-12-01 21:35 by DanielaTags: SpaceX, Amazon, Project Kuiper
Amazon.com Inc. said Friday it has hired Elon Musk's SpaceX for three Falcon 9 rocket launches to support deployment plans for Project Kuiper, Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite broadband network. The deal, the first between the companies, is considered a surprise since the Kuiper system is likely to compete with SpaceX's Starlink in the satellite broadband market. Amazon previously ordered launches from three of SpaceX's top rocket rivals, including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. Project Kuiper is Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite program that could eventually provide users across the globe with internet connectivity. Amazon launched its first two Project Kuiper test satellites into space in October, where it managed to connect to the internet and conduct a two-way video call. However, it still has to do some serious catching up to SpaceX's Starlink, which has already deployed around 5,000 satellites. Despite the rivalry between the two companies, it doesn't exactly come as a surprise that Amazon has chosen SpaceX as a future launch provider. Satellite companies and government agencies have become increasingly reliant on SpaceX's reusable rockets for consistent - and cheaper - launches, as pointed out by an earlier report from The Wall Street Journal. The Elon Musk-owned company powered 88 percent of flights in the first six months of 2023 alone. Read more -here-
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