Amazon launches first 27 satellites for Project Kuiper

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Investing.com -- Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) initiated the long-awaited deployment of its broadband internet constellation, Project Kuiper, on Monday, with the launch of its first 27 satellites from Florida. This marks the beginning of a challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink network.

Project Kuiper is a $10 billion initiative that was announced in 2019. Amazon’s plan is to launch a total of 3,236 satellites into low-Earth orbit. The aim is to provide global broadband internet to consumers, businesses, and governments. This is a customer base that SpaceX has been serving with its Starlink business.

The 27 satellites were launched atop an Atlas V rocket from the Boeing (NYSE:BA) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) joint-venture, United Launch Alliance. The launch took place at 7 p.m. EDT from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s launch pad. The initial launch attempt, scheduled for April 9, was postponed due to bad weather.

Project Kuiper is one of Amazon’s most significant undertakings, setting it up in competition not only with Starlink but also with global telecommunications providers such as AT&T (NYSE:T) and T-Mobile. Amazon has marketed the service as a benefit to rural areas where connectivity is limited or non-existent.

The mission to deploy the first operational satellites was delayed by more than a year. Amazon had initially hoped to launch the first batch in early 2024. The company is under a deadline set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to deploy half of its constellation, 1,618 satellites, by mid-2026. Given the slower start, Amazon is likely to request an extension.

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