The Great Satellite Internet Race is On

Yesterday, Amazon announced a multibillion-dollar investment into Project Kuiper, its satellite internet business.

🚀🛰️🌐 The deets... Project Kuiper has inked deals with three rocket companies to deploy more than 3,000 satellites across 83 launches over the next five years; it’s the biggest space-launch order in history.

• Among the rocket companies is founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, which agreed to provide at least 12 of the launches (with the potential for 15 more).
• French company Arianespace is tasked with 18 launches.
• United Launch Alliance – jointly owned by Boeing and Lockheed Martin – is expected to conduct 47 launches in a rocket with engines built by Blue Origin.

☝️ One interesting thing: Notably absent from the list is SpaceX, whose Starlink internet service is expected to be a direct competitor with Project Kuiper.

• Starlink is well ahead of everyone else in the industry, having already deployed nearly 2,000 satellites and amassing around 250,000 global subscribers.

👀 Looking ahead… Project Kuiper hasn’t sent up any satellites yet, but plans to launch two prototypes later this year. Per its FCC permit, half of the planned 3,236 satellites must be operational by July 2026 or else Amazon could lose the right to send up more.