 |
| Amazon will launch its first two satellites at the end of 2022 |
According to a test launch license Amazon has filed with the Federal Communications Commission, Amazon's ambitious satellite Internet plan for Project Kuiper aims to launch the first two prototype satellites in the last quarter of 2022.
These two prototypes are called KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat 2. These two prototypes will be launched on a new experimental rocket called RS1, which is currently being developed by ABL Space Systems.
Project Kuiper aims to put a huge constellation of 3,236 satellites into low Earth orbit over the next 10 years. This is to ensure fast internet coverage with low latency down to earth.
The plan aims to provide services to rural communities and other areas where it is difficult to provide infrastructure for traditional Internet services.
This concept is similar to SpaceX's Starlink project. It is a constellation of broadband Internet satellites, and approximately 12,000 satellites are planned to be placed in low Earth orbit.
But unlike Project Kuiper, Starlink has launched more than 1,700 satellites and created a beta program for hundreds of users. Amazon has not launched a Kuiper satellite.
It looks like the Amazon branch is almost done. The company last week offered to test the satellite's engines for maneuvering in space.
The company claims that these prototypes will allow testing of the same communications and networking technologies that will be included in the final satellite.
Amazon has a plan called Project Kuiper
Both models operate at an altitude of 590 kilometers above the Earth's surface. KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 share the same technologies required for the final constellation, including antennas, modems, power supplies, and thrusters.
In space, these satellites are used to test their ability to communicate with four user stations in Texas and a ground station to transmit and receive broadband signals.
The company said it has conducted field tests on its user terminals. You must have reached a maximum transmission speed of 400 Mbit/s.
The company is also trying to reassure the space community that it is working to mitigate the harmful effects of its satellites. One of the main criticisms of these satellites is that they increase the pressure on the environment in low Earth orbit. It also increases the possibility of space collisions and makes it more difficult to launch satellites in the future.
The announcement came after Verizon announced a partnership to expand the carrier's 4G/LTE and 5G coverage to underserved areas. Such a deal depends on Amazon launching satellites first.