United Launch Alliance must send 27 Kuiper satellite to low ground lane as Amazon begins a full-scale implementation of its satellite network network
Amazon
Amazon’s Satellite Internet Department, Kuiper, is ready to launch 27 satellites in orbit today – the first step in the construction of a network that it hopes will soon compete with Starlink, but taxes have a shot? We dig into the situation.
What is Kuiper?
In short, Kuiper is – or will be – a network of thousands of satellites radiating internet traffic around the world. This would give people in remote regions access to the Internet, even without local infrastructure.
The idea is exactly the same as Starlink, the SpaceX-Obned Company, which already provides such a service under the leadership of Elon Musk. Project Kuiper is a replacement for Amazon, created in 2019 and is owned by another billionaire: Jeff Bezos.
Amazon did not respond to New scientist ‘S request for an interview, but the company has previously said that its satellites will travel at more than 27,000 kilometers per hour and circle the Earth approx. every 90 minutes. To connect to the Internet, customers need to buy a small terminal and install it on a building roof.
When will be launched? And how can I see it?
Kuiper calls this first Mission Ka-01, for Kuiper Atlas 1, and it is spoken at 19:00 EDT on April 9.
The satellites are brought to Orbit by a United Launch Alliance Atlas against the Rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force, Florida. Amazon says it will be the heaviest payload that any launched on this craft.
United Launch Alliance plans to live stream flight on its website, starting 20 minutes before launch.
Is this Kuiper’s first launch?
Kuiper put two prototype satellite in orbit in Octuber 2023, but this is the first launch of the final version the company says is “a significant upgrade”.
It has better solar panels, propulsion systems and communication equipment, but astronomers will be that another new feature is a dielectric mirror film coating designed for scattered reflective sunlight. Other companies have launched reflective satellites that seriously affect imaging, as astronomers have said “really is an existential problem for astronomy”.
Who’s ahead, Starlink or Kuiper?
Starlink. In quite a long way.
Kuiper has been a grant permission from the US Federal Communication Commission to operate 3236 satellites, and the company has said it would only start renting internet connections to use 578 satellites were launched.
So if today’s launch is successful, the company will still have 551 more satellites to send space before it can start generating returned.
The company says it has secured more than 80 launches with a tidy of companies to implement further satellites. Ironically, some launches will be handled by SpaceX.
Meanwhile, SpaceX began launching satellites in 2019 and says it has more than 6750 satellites in orbit serving millions of customers. The company also develops a military satellite network called Starshield, which reportedly has contracts with the US government.
Can Kuiper catch up?
It certainly has lots of group to put together. Starlink’s lead is great and it has the obvious Benfit to be owned by a Rocket Launch Company.
Although not owned by Amazon, Bezo’s Space Company Blue Origin has his events, which plays a similar game of SpaceX catching in the world of recyclable rockets. It could help close the gap.
In other areas, Amazon may benefit. It has already hung by millions of uses that regularly act and flow on site, which may be tempted to add satellite internet through various offers or flocks.
In addition, Hudreds of Mills of People all over the world is missing a reliable internet connection, so there is a market. The only time will show if it is large enough to maintain two main component satellite operators, not to name smaller players as the partially British owned OneWeb.
Some companies are also working on non-rooted, solar-celled aircraft that can logo in the high atmosphere for months at a time, which could potentially undermine satellites on costs.
However, one thing is clear: it will certainly be a blessing for consumers to have a competitor in the market.
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