Amazon’s Project Kuiper planned mega-constellation of satellites has written to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking that it limits the overall size of rival SpaceX and its Starlink constellation. Starlink wants almost 30,000 satellites in its constellation while Kuiper’s initial plan is for 3236 craft. Kuiper argues to the FCC that Starlink should be limited. […]
Singapore-based (but Vanuatu-registered) Kacific Broadband Satellite, already using its half of a joint-venture satellite (with Japan’s JCSat-18), says it will soon issue a formal Request for Proposals for its own satellite. Kacific CEO Christian Patouraux, speaking at the Asia Satellite Business week, said the company has been in discussion from some potential satellite manufacturers. The […]
One of the mostly ignored elements of the Amazon Project Kuiper multi-rocket news – which in the words of Quilty Analytics “rightfully grabbed all the headlines” – might not be the most important story. Quilty says that Amazon’s announcement that it can build an all-electronically-steered flat panel antenna (FPA) for about $500 represents an earth-shattering […]
Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos has contracted with three rocket launch companies to a 5- year launch timetable to place his 3236 ‘Project Kuiper’ satellites into orbit. Kuiper has until July 30th 2026 to launch at least half of its constellation (1618 satellites) to retain its FCC orbital and frequency permissions. The cargo being carried works […]
The news on April 5th that Jeff Bezos had signed unprecedented orders for rocket capacity to get Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband system operational did not go far enough. The announcement also kick-starts a five-year timetable and designed to compete head-to-head with Elon Musk’s Starlink operation which is already in business. Amazon had ordered up a […]
Europe’s Arianespace has reported a 30 per cent increase in revenues for 2021 having complete 15 successful launches during the year. Arianespace says it saw revenues of €1.25 billion last year and says it will likely break-even in trading terms once the year’s accounts are complete. The launch company now operates from three spaceports: its […]
Last week it was aerospace giant Boeing which received permission from the FCC to launch a broadband constellation of 147 satellites. California-based Astra Space has gone much better. It applied to the FCC on November 4th to “ultimately” launch 13,620 satellites. But Astra and Boeing are not alone. The FCC has received fresh requests from […]
Verizon is to partner up with Amazon to use its proposed satellite internet system to expand rural broadband access in the US. “We’re proud to be working together to explore bringing fast, reliable broadband to the customers and communities who need it most,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a statement. Amazon’s Project Kuiper’, is […]
September 8th saw Amazon fire off another salvo to the FCC with a list of complaints about SpaceX and also citing a WSJ comment that Elon Musk wages a “war on regulators” and that Musk allegedly breaks the rules and endangers people. The Amazon letter to the FCC (and from its subsidiary Kuiper Systems) is […]
Jeff Bezos is just a few days away from his Blue Origin/New Shephard sub-orbital launch, scheduled for July 20th. But back at its Redmond (Washington state) headquarters, his Project Kuiper broadband-by-satellite team are readying its next steps. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to launch 3236 satellites into low Earth orbit. […]