by Amazon started his first Project Project -Kuiper internet on Monday and marked the beginning of his advance on the Starlink of Elon Musk.
The mission, which is called Kuiper Atlas 1, was withdrawn from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:00 p.m. local time (2300 GMT), on board an United Launch Alliance (Ula) Atlas V Rocket, which promotes 27 satellites in orbit.
An earlier attempt was scrubbed at the beginning of this month due to bad weather.
Project Kuiper, a subsidiary of Jeff Bezo’s online individual trade giants, plays the extensive network of internet satellites with Starlink SpaceX, which redesigned the sector and have changed significant geopolitical influence.
The initiative of 10 billion US dollars plans to live 3,200 satellites into a low earth orbit – the region of space up to 1,200 miles above the planet – with hope to live later this year.
The pricing has not yet been announced, but Amazon has undertaken to organize with his reputation as a inexpensive retailer.
“Atlas V is on the way to the orbit to take these 27 Kuiper satellites, get them on the way and really start this new era in internet connectivity,” said Caleb Weiss.
With the start of Monday, Amazon officially enters into a crowded and rapidly growing field, which not only includes Starlink, but also other aspiring players in the satellite internet race.
SpaceX started the first Charge of Starlink satellite in 2019 and now has more than 6,750 operating units that operate five million customers worldwide – by far the dominant power of the sector.
Starlink has also made a decisive Internet access in disaster and war zones, including Morocco, after his devastating earthquake of 2023 and on the front of the Ukrainian War against Russia.
Amazon plans to accelerate the start in the coming months and years, with more than 80 flights about United Launch Alliance (a joint venture from Boeing-Lockheed Martin), France’s Arianespace, Bezos’ own blue origin and even Musk’s SpaceX.
His satellites will gradually join the swelling of the Low Earth orbit with Starlink, Europe’s OneWeb and China’s Guowang constellation.
The increasing overcrowding of this orbital district has triggered concerns about traffic jams, potential collisions and disorders of the astronomical observations.
The growing role of private companies in space has also raised thorny political questions, especially since Musk’s influence beyond business beyond politics and diplomacy.
Musk has sent mixed signals on the future role of Starlink in Ukraine, where it is of crucial importance for Kyiv’s war effort – a conflict that the US President of Musk Ally, Donald Trump swore to an end.
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