Amazon's inaugural pair of prototype satellites for its ambitious Kuiper internet network embarked on their space journey from Florida. This mission marks a crucial milestone as Amazon aims to deploy a multitude of satellites into orbit to provide global internet service, entering into direct competition with SpaceX's Starlink.

The launch took place at Cape Canaveral, with a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket proudly displaying the Amazon logo. The rocket took off shortly after 2 p.m. Eastern time (1800 GMT), carrying the two Kuiper test satellites. This mission represents the realization of Amazon's long-anticipated plan, which had initially intended to use different rockets for this purpose.

The primary objective of this mission is to evaluate Amazon's initial foray into space technology. The e-commerce and web services powerhouse has grand plans to introduce an additional 3,236 satellites into orbit in the coming years, with the goal of providing global broadband internet coverage. This endeavor puts Amazon in direct competition with Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has already launched nearly 5,000 Starlink satellites to achieve a similar aim.

In the lead-up to the launch, Amazon had been relatively tight-lipped about the details of these two satellites. The satellites themselves were manufactured at Amazon's dedicated satellite facility located in Redmond, Washington.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated that Amazon must launch half of its planned satellite constellation by 2026. The growing market for broadband internet service via low-Earth orbiting satellites is estimated to be valued at tens of billions of dollars in the coming decade.

While SpaceX's Starlink project has already positioned the company as the world's largest satellite operator, Amazon faces competition from other players, including Canada's Telesat, yet to deploy its satellites, and French satellite company Eutelsat's OneWeb, which primarily serves governments and businesses.

Amazon is following a strategy similar to SpaceX, aiming to target both individual consumers and enterprise customers with its Kuiper project. Amazon plans to manufacture consumer terminals, which are expected to cost around $400 each, although specific prices have not yet been announced. In comparison, SpaceX's Starlink consumer terminals are priced at $599 each.

To complete the Kuiper satellite network, Amazon sealed a significant launch agreement in the previous year for 83 launches, marking it as the largest commercial rocket procurement to date. These launches will be facilitated by multiple rocket companies, including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, ULA, and Europe's Arianespace.

Notably, Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos, are currently facing a shareholder lawsuit regarding this launch agreement. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to conduct adequate due diligence and overlooked potentially more cost-effective rocket options from its rival, SpaceX. SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket has been instrumental in the swift deployment of the Starlink satellite network.

Image source: Reuters