Amazon launches its first satellites to rival Starlink
1 min read
Summary
Amazon has launched its first batch of satellites as part of its Kuiper broadband project, which is aimed at competing with Starlink, the satellite internet business owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The launch was the first of 80 planned launches of Project Kuiper satellites, with the company planning to put a total of 3,236 satellites into low-Earth orbit.
Amazon has said it hopes to begin providing satellite internet to customers before the end of the year, but it faces a deadline of June 2026 to deploy half of all its planned satellites, which stands at 1,618.
By contrast, Starlink already has more than 7,200 satellites in operation and has gained approval to launch a further 18,400, meaning it has a significant lead over its nearest competitor.