On the heels of the successful prototype tests, Amazon expects to start building production-ready satellites next month for a launch in the second quarter of 2024, Badyal told Reuters. Federal Communications Commission has required Amazon to deploy half of its more than 3,000-planned satellite constellation by 2026. 'We still have a lot of hard work ahead, and scaling for mass production won't be easy,' said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper.
Amazon said it used the prototype satellites for brief two-way video calls, streaming a high-definition movie on Prime Video and ordering items off Amazon's website. The Kuiper internet network is set to compete against billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink, the world's largest satellite operator, to offer broadband internet service globally to consumers, companies and governments.Īmazon said it had achieved a 100% success rate within the first 30 days of the launch of the prototype satellites from Florida aboard an United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.
