Amazon launches first Kuiper satellites to test rival Starlink internet service

2023-10-09 14:05:00

Amazon has successfully completed the launch of its first satellites in the “Kuiper” constellation, which will be used to provide internet access in rural areas and remote areas in different parts of the world. This service, whose project dates back to 2020, should compete with Starlink solutions, created by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

After receiving FCC approval in the United States, the KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 satellites were sent into the planet’s orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket, which took off at 3:06 p.m. (Brasília time). ) last Friday (06). The satellites were positioned at an altitude of around 500 kilometers. See the launch:

Successfully, the retail giant managed to establish the first contact with both satellites at 15:53. Amazon states that this is a fundamental step for the “Protoflight” mission, which must carry out uplink and downlink tests to evaluate the performance of satellites in orbit and monitor their health.

The company must build a network with more than 3,200 satellites that will work together to transmit internet signals to the ground. The first commercial satellites are scheduled to be launched into orbit in the first half of 2024, and by the end of next year, they will begin to be tested with consumers.

The American giant’s satellite internet service will feature different models of antennas that can be installed discreetly to connect to low-orbit satellites in a compact, simplified and low-cost format.

Economy and market
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Economy and market
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According to the company, its most ambitious objective was to develop terminals that cost less than US$500 (around R$2,560) to build. This goal was achieved by Project Kuiper engineers in 2020, who managed to create relatively low-cost solutions that will charge customers US$400 (around R$2,050).

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