Amazon launched the first 27 satellites for its Kuiper broadband internet project on Monday, marking the start of its long-delayed effort to rival SpaceX’s Starlink and provide global internet coverage from space.
Amazon launched the first 27 satellites for its Kuiper broadband internet constellation on Monday from Florida, marking the start of its long-awaited rollout of a space-based internet network to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink. These satellites are the first of 3,236 planned for low-Earth orbit as part of Project Kuiper, a $10 billion initiative launched in 2019 to provide global broadband internet to consumers, businesses, and governments—targeting the same market that SpaceX’s Starlink has been courting for years.
The satellites were deployed aboard an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, with the launch occurring at 7 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission had been delayed by bad weather, which scrubbed the original launch attempt on April 9.
Kuiper represents Amazon’s most significant investment to date, challenging both Starlink and global telecom giants like AT&T and T-Mobile. The company has marketed the service as a solution for rural areas with limited or no internet connectivity.
The deployment of these first operational satellites has been delayed by more than a year, with Amazon originally planning to launch the first batch in early 2024. The company faces a deadline set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy half of its constellation, or 1,618 satellites, by mid-2026. Given the slower start, analysts predict Amazon will likely request an extension. Within hours or days after the launch, Amazon is expected to confirm initial contact with all the satellites from its mission operations center in Redmond, Washington. If successful, the company plans to begin offering service later this year.
ULA could launch up to five additional Kuiper missions in 2025, according to ULA CEO Tory Bruno. Amazon has stated that service could begin in certain northern and southern regions with just 578 satellites, with coverage expanding toward the equator as more satellites are launched.
Despite a late start in a market dominated by SpaceX, Amazon’s Project Kuiper leverages the company’s extensive consumer product expertise and its established cloud computing infrastructure, which it believes will give it an advantage over Starlink.
Spain’s High Court has cleared Colombian pop star Shakira of tax fraud and annulled a €55 million ($64 million) penalty imposed by Spani...
Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed at least eight Palestinians on Sunday, according to local health officials, as the Israel Defense Force...
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the of...
A drone strike caused a fire at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, officials said on Sunday, with ...
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou...
Spain’s High Court has cleared Colombian pop star Shakira of tax fraud and annulled a €55 million ($64 million) penalty imposed by Spanish tax authorities in 2021, according to a court document.
Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed at least eight Palestinians on Sunday, according to local health officials, as the Israel Defense Forces intensified operations targeting Hamas commanders and infrastructure across the enclave.
A new documentary by AnewZ Investigations titled 'Target Yerevan' is set to premiere in Baku soon, examining allegations surrounding former International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, Armenian lobbying networks, and wider political influence campaigns.
Russia carried out overnight drone strikes, air raids and shelling across Ukraine, hitting cities including Odesa and Dnipro, killing one person and injuring more than 30, according to Ukrainian officials on Monday (18 May).
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada has said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to “jump straight to the result” risks undermining the purpose of art, which he believes should be rooted in self-expression and a deeper understanding of the world.
The Spanish government has issued a defiant message to Silicon Valley, confirming it will push ahead with stringent new legislation designed to make social networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI) demonstrably safer.
A robotics startup says it has built an AI “brain” that can teach humanoid robots new physical skills in days rather than months, as the race to deploy human-shaped machines in factories and warehouses accelerates.
Apple and Meta have publicly opposed a Canadian bill they say could force technology companies to weaken encryption on devices and online services if it becomes law.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment