"We had a nice smooth countdown, beautiful weather, beautiful liftoff, and Atlas V is on its way to orbit to take those 27 Kuiper satellites, put them on their way and really start this new era in internet connectivity," commented Caleb Weiss, a systems engineer at ULA, during a post-launch livestream.
The satellites are slated to detach from the rocket approximately 280 miles above Earth. Following separation, Amazon will focus on verifying the satellites' ability to independently maneuver and establish communication with ground control.
Project Kuiper, unveiled by Amazon six years prior, represents the company's foray into building a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation designed to provide global broadband internet service. This venture positions Amazon as a direct competitor to SpaceX's Starlink, which currently holds a dominant position in the market with around 8,000 operational satellites.
This inaugural Kuiper mission signifies the commencement of what will need to be a consistent and frequent launch schedule for Amazon to meet the stringent deadlines set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC mandates that Amazon must have half of its planned constellation, totaling 1,618 satellites, operational by July 2026.
To achieve this ambitious goal, Amazon has secured over 80 launches with a diverse range of partners, including ULA, Elon Musk's SpaceX (the parent company of its primary competitor, Starlink), European aerospace company Arianespace, and Blue Origin, the space exploration venture founded by Amazon's own Jeff Bezos.
Amazon's financial commitment to the Kuiper network is substantial, with investments projected to reach as much as $10 billion. The company anticipates commencing commercial service for consumers, enterprises, and government entities later this year, signaling its intent to rapidly penetrate the market.
In his recent shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy acknowledged that Kuiper would necessitate significant upfront investment. However, he expressed confidence in the long-term potential, stating that the company expects it to evolve into "a meaningful operating income and ROIC business for us," with ROIC referring to return on invested capital. Investors will be keenly awaiting any further insights into capital expenditure plans for Kuiper when Amazon announces its first-quarter earnings after the market closes on Thursday. The successful launch of these initial satellites marks a critical milestone for Amazon as it seeks to carve out its share of the burgeoning satellite internet market and challenge the existing dominance of Starlink.