Latest news with #Arianespace
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon (AMZN) Launches First Kuiper Satellites, Steps Into Space Race
Amazon (AMZN, Financials) took a major step into the satellite internet business on Monday, launching its first 27 Kuiper satellites from Cape Canaveral. The move puts Amazon in direct competition with SpaceX's Starlink, as it works to build a global broadband network. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 2 Warning Sign with AMZN. The satellites were carried into orbit by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, lifting off at 7 p.m. local time. Project Kuiper is a $10 billion effort aiming to deploy 3,236 satellites. Amazon must have at least 1,618 satellites in orbit by mid-2026 to meet a Federal Communications Commission requirement. Consumer terminals are expected to sell for under $400, with early service areas starting once 578 satellites are active. Amazon says Kuiper is built to close connectivity gaps, focusing on rural areas where internet access is spotty or nonexistent. While Amazon is late to the market compared to SpaceX's Starlink, Jeff Bezos believes there's enough demand for both services to succeed. Amazon has leaned on its strengthsconsumer hardware and cloud servicesas it rolls out Kuiper. The company already tested two prototypes in 2023 and has lined up 83 rocket launches through deals with United Launch Alliance, Arianespace, and Blue Origin. SpaceX has raced ahead with more than 8,000 Starlink satellites and 5 million users across 125 countries. Amazon's entry brings a heavyweight challenger into the market, one that could shake up internet access worldwide and open new opportunities for defense and enterprise customers. All eyes are now on Amazon's ability to keep pace with its launch schedule and start serving customers by the end of 2025. See insider trades for AMZN. Explore Peter Lynch chart for AMZN. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Euronews
29-04-2025
- Science
- Euronews
ESA successfully launches Biomass, the satellite set to unlock the secrets of the world's forests
ADVERTISEMENT The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully completed the launch of its Biomass satellite on Tuesday from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Manufactured by Airbus Defence and Arianespace, the satellite is designed to advance our understanding of tropical forests, particularly by measuring how much carbon they store. The successful launch was welcomed by both the space agency and the industry partners who worked on the project. Related ESA launches EarthCARE satellite to study the impact of clouds on climate change "This mission comes at a very timely moment. It's about science, it's about innovation, but it's also about the health of citizens on the planet," Simonetta Cheli, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes, said during the press conference following the launch. "In the current context full of uncertainties, the fact that Europe masters a technology as complex as rockets, the fact that we are reliable... it's something of utmost importance," added David Cavailloles, CEO of Arianespace. But what exactly makes this satellite so special? ESA's Biomass mission launches on Vega-C The importance of knowing carbon stocks in tropical forests Forests play a vital role in sustaining life on our planet. They largely owe this function to photosynthesis, the process by which plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and water, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere and storing energy in the form of glucose (sugar) within their cells. While photosynthesis is one of the most widely taught scientific concepts in schools, understanding the complexities of how forests work remains a challenge. Researchers struggle to grasp how much carbon is stored in the world's forests and how these stocks are changing in response to factors like the increase in temperature. Of course, not all the forests pose the same challenges. Those in the Northern Hemisphere tend to have better mapping and can be observed through satellite, like ESA's Sentinel 1. Related ESA launches Hera mission to return to deflected asteroid in bid to learn how to protect Earth However, tropical forests are far more complex. "First of all, it [tropical forest] accounts for 75 per cent of global CO2 absorption, so it plays a more important role in the overall carbon cycle," Cheli explained. "Secondly, it's a denser forest - also more physically inaccessible, which makes it harder to validate data on the ground," she continued. To help close this knowledge gap, the ESA Biomass satellite aims to provide essential new data on the quantity of carbon stored in tropical forests, helping scientists to address some of the most urgent global challenges. ADVERTISEMENT "The data collected by Biomass will help us understand how a potential degradation of the forest in the tropical zone can have an impact on the entire evolution of the climate and climate change," Cheli told Euronews Next. But how does the Biomass mission aim to do so? Related T-Minus Ariane 6: Inside Europe's critical mission to reclaim space autonomy The cutting-edge P-band technology "It's an innovation in terms of technological advancement of Europe," Cheli told Euronews Next, presenting the Biomass satellite. "It's the first time we've ever launched a mission with P-band," she added. ADVERTISEMENT The P-band synthetic aperture radar is the key component of Biomass. Thanks to its wavelength of approximately 70 cm, the radar signal can penetrate the forest canopy, collecting important information on carbon stocks. The P-band radar looks like an umbrella. It's a 12-metre-diameter antenna located on the top of the satellite, allowing it to scan through the thick and almost impenetrable tropical forest. Biomass beyond forests "This P-band will allow looking at 3D pictures of tropical forests," Simoetta Cheli told Euronews. "It's a little bit like a medical scan of the status of tropical forests," she explained. Producing the P-band radar and fitting it on the satellite was very challenging for Airbus, which also had to face the problem of the global pandemic. ADVERTISEMENT "We had to build the whole spacecraft during Covid, which was very difficult," Justin Byrne, Head of Space Programmes at Airbus told journalists in Kourou. He explained that team separation made the complex task of producing the P-band radar even more demanding, but he looked enthusiastic about the result. Related Europe's Vega rocket prepares for lift off on final ESA mission before retirement Vega-C: Europe's access to space Another essential component of the Biomass satellite is Vega-C, the successor of Vega, the small European rocket launcher built by the Italian company Avio, which is particularly devoted to Earth observation missions. Standing at 35 m in height and weighing 210 tonnes, Vega-C is composed of three solid-propellant stages, which successfully carried the satellite into orbit in the early morning of Tuesday in Kourou. The Vega-C site launch. Alice Carnevali, Euronews "The mission has a duration of one hour, including the finishing face when we have to return the top of the launcher from space to ground," Giulio Ranzo, CEO of Avio, told journalists in Kourou before the launch. ADVERTISEMENT "We remind everyone that we do not leave anything in space," he then pointed out, explaining that the launcher is destroyed upon reentry into the atmosphere, ensuring no space debris is left in orbit. The ESA Biomass satellite is designed for a mission of at least 5 years, and it's the biggest space-based radar in history. To learn more about the topic and delve into the behind-the-scenes of the Biomass launch, make sure to listen to the Euronews Tech Talks episode on Wednesday, May 14.
India Today
29-04-2025
- Business
- India Today
Amazon builds Kuiper internet satellites to take on Elon Musk Starlink: Story in 5 points
Amazon has launched its first set of operational Kuiper satellites into space. With this launch, the tech giant has formally entered the satellite internet sector and will be directly challenging Elon Musk's Starlink. The launch is part of Amazon's multibillion-dollar Project Kuiper, which aims to set up a global broadband network using low-Earth orbit satellites. Through this project, Amazon wants to bring fast and affordable broadband connectivity to remote and far-reaching regions around the part of the initial release, Amazon has launched 27 internet satellites, with more satellites scheduled and services expected to begin in the coming months. Here is the full story of Amazon's space-based internet in five points:advertisement1. First operational Kuiper satellitesAmazon launched 27 internet satellites for its Kuiper project. The satellites were carried by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, which lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The satellites will eventually settle into orbits around 400 miles – 630 kilometres– above the Earth. The new satellites are expected to begin system checks in orbit, including communication and maneuvering tests. This launch also marks Amazon's first official deployment of fully functional satellites, following two test satellites launched in 2023.2. Amazon's satellite networkAmazon says that Project Kuiper is the company's initiative to provide fast, affordable broadband to communities around the world where traditional internet connectivity is unavailable or hard to reach. Like Starlink's low-orbit constellation of thousands of satellites revolving around the Earth, Amazon also aims to deploy thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which will then be linked to a global network of antennas, fibre, and internet connection points on the ground.3. Kuiper satellites aimed to offer high-speed internetadvertisement Amazon explains that the Kuiper system will use low-Earth orbit satellites to reduce latency and provide faster internet compared to older geostationary systems. The company is developing different types of user terminals: a compact version offering speeds up to 100 Mbps, a standard version supporting up to 400 Mbps, and a larger terminal with up to 1 Gbps for enterprise or government use. Although Amazon has not yet shared details around pricing and subscription plans.4. Kuiper satellite deployment timelineAmazon has committed over $10 billion to its satellite internet service. The company plans to deploy a total of 3,236 satellites. Under U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, Amazon is required to launch at least half of its planned Kuiper satellite network—around 1,618 satellites—by July 2026, according to a report by Reuters. To meet this deadline, Amazon has booked more than 80 launches with providers including ULA, Arianespace, SpaceX, and Blue Origin.5. Competition to StarlinkCurrently, the leading provider of satellite internet connectivity is Elon Musk's SpaceX Starlink, and Amazon will directly face Starlink in this space. Reportedly, for its internet connectivity service, Amazon is banking on its global infrastructure, deep pockets, and e-commerce expertise to scale quickly. Amazon is developing its Kuiper satellites within its broader devices division, with satellite manufacturing and research facilities located in Washington state. Amazon says it plans to scale up production, with the capacity to build several satellites per day. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy expects Project Kuiper to be a long-term investment that will eventually generate "a meaningful operating income and ROIC business for us (company)."
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch Vega-C rocket launch European forest-monitoring satellite to orbit on April 29
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A European forest-monitoring satellite will launch from South America early Tuesday morning (April 29), and you can watch the action live. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Biomass spacecraft is scheduled to lift off atop a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Tuesday at 5:15 a.m. EDT (0915 GMT; 6:15 a.m. local time in Kourou). You can watch the launch live here at courtesy of the French company Arianespace, which operates the Vega-C. Arianespace's stream will begin at 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT). This will be the fourth launch overall for the four-stage, 115-foot-tall (35-meter-tall) Vega-C, and the second since an anomaly in the rocket's second stage led to a mission failure in December 2022. The Vega-C bounced back on its third-ever launch, successfully sending the European Union's Copernicus Sentinel-1C Earth-observation satellite to orbit this past December. Related: Europe's Vega-C rocket launches Earth-observation satellite on 1st liftoff since 2022 failure (video) If all goes according to plan on Tuesday, the Vega-C will deploy Biomass into a sun-synchronous orbit 414 miles (666 kilometers) above Earth about 57 minutes after liftoff. The 2,490-pound (1,130-kilogram) satellite will then undergo a checkout period, which will prepare it for an Earth-observation mission designed to last at least five years. Related stories: — Europe's new lightweight Vega C rocket gets a big Earth observation opportunity — Europe's Vega C rocket fails on 2nd-ever mission, 2 satellites lost — Europe's Vega C rocket launch failure caused by nozzle flaw, investigators say During that mission, Biomass — part of ESA's "Earth Explorers" satellite series — will use synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to study our planet's varied ecosystems, paying special attention to its forests. Biomass' SAR instrument "allows it to collect information on the height and structure of different forest types and measure the amount of carbon stored in the world's forests and how it changes over time," Arianespace representatives wrote in the mission's press kit, which you can find here. "Observations from this new mission will also lead to better insight into the rates of habitat loss and, as a result, the effect this may have on biodiversity in the forest environment," they added.
Express Tribune
29-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Amazon successfully launches first Kuiper satellites, challenges SpaceX's Starlink
United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off carrying Amazon's Project Kuiper internet network satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 28, REUTERS Listen to article Amazon on Monday launched its first 27 Project Kuiper satellites into low Earth orbit, marking the tech giant's official entry into the satellite internet market dominated by SpaceX's Starlink. The satellites lifted off aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida just after 7 pm ET. The successful mission follows a weather delay and represents a key milestone in Amazon's $10 billion plan to deploy more than 3,200 satellites aimed at delivering global internet coverage. The Kuiper network, first announced six years ago, is Amazon's most ambitious space initiative to date. The satellites, designed to orbit at approximately 280 miles above Earth, will eventually beam internet service to underserved areas across the globe. Amazon aims to begin commercial operations by the end of 2025. Amazon has secured more than 80 rocket launches with various providers—including ULA, Arianespace, Blue Origin, and rival SpaceX—to meet a US regulatory requirement to deploy at least half of its constellation by July 2026. Despite Amazon's late start, the company insists Kuiper will become a key pillar of its broader business ecosystem, including Amazon Web Services and logistics. CEO Andy Jassy recently told shareholders the project would eventually generate meaningful returns, though Wall Street analysts remain cautious. Amazon's main competitor, SpaceX's Starlink, already operates over 8,000 satellites and serves more than 4.6 million customers worldwide. Analysts warn Amazon faces an uphill battle to catch up. 'This is just the beginning,' said Rajeev Badyal, VP of Project Kuiper. 'We're ready to learn, adapt, and scale.' With geopolitical, commercial, and technological stakes high, Amazon's Kuiper launch signals a new phase in the race to control the future of global internet access.
