For months now, Amazon has been quiet on the progress surrounding its satellite internet system, Project Kuiper. But on Monday, the company announced plans to launch the first prototype satellites during next year’s fourth quarter.
The upcoming test will involve a pair of satellites, dubbed KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, that’ll orbit the Earth at a distance of 590 kilometers (366 miles), relaying data to ground stations on the surface. To send the satellites into space, Amazon is relying on the RS-1 Rocket from ABL Space Systems.
"There is no substitute for on-orbit testing, and we expect to learn a lot given the complexity and risk of operating in such a challenging environment," says Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper, in the announcement.
The company also plans on using the test to cement the final design for the Project Kuiper satellites. Amazon is aiming to eventually operate 3,236 of them in orbit with the goal of beaming high-speed affordable internet to consumers and businesses across the planet.
However, the 2022 Q4 launch date also means Project Kuiper has a ways to go if it wants to catch up to SpaceX’s rival satellite internet service, Starlink, which is already serving over 100,000 users. SpaceX launched its own prototype satellites for Starlink back in 2018.
To proceed with the launch, Amazon has filed for a two-year experimental license with the US Federal Communications Commission to operate the satellites over the needed radio spectrum. The filing reveals Amazon now has more than 700 employees working on Project Kuiper. In addition, the company has established a 219,000-square-foot facility in Redmond, Washington, to develop the technology behind the satellite system. Plans to add another 20,000-square-foot facility are also underway.
During the test, the prototype satellites will attempt to communicate with ground stations located in South America, the Asia-Pacific region, and in McCulloch, Texas. This includes beaming data to four low-cost “customer terminal units” in McCulloch. A year ago, Amazon said its early prototypes for the customer terminals can deliver speeds of up to 400Mbps.
“Ultimately, this testing will enable faster deployment of the Kuiper System, accelerating Amazon’s efforts to close the digital divide in the United States and globally through the delivery of low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity,” the company wrote in the filing.
It's unclear when Project Kuiper will start serving actual customers. But the company has previously pointed out its FCC license requires that Amazon deploy at least 50% of the satellite constellation by July 2026.