Latest news with #CalebWeiss
NZ Herald
29-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Amazon launches first Starlink-rival internet satellites
Pricing has not yet been revealed, but Amazon has pledged it will align with its reputation as a low-cost retailer. 'Atlas V is on its way to orbit to take those 27 Kuiper satellites, put them on their way, and really start this new era in internet connectivity,' said ULA's Caleb Weiss. With Monday's launch, Amazon formally enters a crowded and fast-growing field that includes not just Starlink but other emerging players in the satellite internet race. SpaceX launched the first batch of Starlink satellites in 2019 and now boasts more than 6750 operational units, serving over five million customers worldwide – by far the sector's dominant force. Starlink has also provided crucial internet access in disaster and war zones, including Morocco after its devastating 2023 earthquake and on the frontlines in Ukraine's war against Russia. Amazon plans to accelerate launches in the coming months and years, with more than 80 flights booked through United Launch Alliance (a Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture), France's Arianespace, Bezos' own Blue Origin, and even Musk's SpaceX. Its satellites will gradually join the swelling ranks of low Earth orbit, alongside Starlink, Europe's OneWeb, and China's Guowang constellation. The increasing crowding of this orbital neighbourhood has sparked concerns about congestion, potential collisions, and disruptions to astronomical observations. The expanding role of private companies in space has also raised thorny political questions, especially as Musk's influence stretches beyond business into politics and diplomacy. Musk has sent mixed signals on Starlink's future role in Ukraine, where it remains vital to Kyiv's war effort – a conflict that Musk ally US President Donald Trump has vowed to bring to an end.
Ya Libnan
29-04-2025
- Business
- Ya Libnan
Amazon launches first Kuiper internet satellites in bid to take on Elon Musk's Starlink
HIGHLIGHTS on Monday launched the first batch of its Kuiper internet satellites into space after an earlier attempt was scrubbed due to inclement weather. A United Launch Alliance rocket carrying 27 Kuiper satellites lifted off from a launchpad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida shortly after 7 p.m. eastern, according to a livestream . 'We had a nice smooth countdown, beautiful weather, beautiful liftoff, and Atlas V is on its way to orbit to take those 27 Kuiper satellites, put them on their way and really start this new era in internet connectivity,' Caleb Weiss, a systems engineer at ULA, said on the livestream following the launch. The satellites are expected to separate from the rocket roughly 280 miles above Earth's surface, at which point Amazon will look to confirm the satellites can independently maneuver and communicate with its employees on the ground. Six years ago Amazon unveiled its plans to build a constellation of internet-beaming satellites in low Earth orbit, called Project Kuiper. The service will compete directly with Elon Musk's Starlink, which currently dominates the market and has 8,000 satellites in orbit. The first Kuiper mission kicks off what will need to become a steady cadence of launches in order for Amazon to meet a deadline set by the Federal Communications Commission. The agency expects the company to have half of its total constellation, or 1,618 satellites, up in the air by July 2026. Amazon has booked more than 80 launches to deploy dozens of satellites at a time. In addition to ULA, its launch partners include Musk's SpaceX (parent company of Starlink), European company Arianespace and Jeff Bezos' space exploration startup Blue Origin. Amazon is spending as much as $10 billion to build the Kuiper network. It hopes to begin commercial service for consumers, enterprises and government later this year. In his shareholder letter earlier this month , Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said Kuiper will require upfront investment at first, but eventually the company expects it to be 'a meaningful operating income and ROIC business for us.' ROIC stands for return on invested capital. Investors will be listening for any commentary around further capex spend on Kuiper when Amazon reports first-quarter earnings after the bell on Thursday. NBC NEWS
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Launch of Amazon's 1st Kuiper internet satellites delayed by bad weather
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Amazon may be a whiz at fast online deliveries, but the massive company will have to wait to launch the first satellites of its new space internet constellation after bad weather thwarted a liftoff on Wednesday night. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket attempted to launch 27 of Amazon's first Project Kuiper internet satellites to orbit from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 9, but persistent clouds near the pad violated launch rules, ULA officials said. "It is confirmed that we will not continue with the Amazon Project Kuiper 1 launch activities today," ULA launch commentator Caleb Weiss said during a livestream. "We will work with our partners at the U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 45 for the timing of our next launch opportunity." Bad weather plagued ULA's launch attempt Amazon throughout a two-hour flight window that opened at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT). Launch controllers worked through some technical glitches, but were primarily concerned thick cumulus clouds and rain within 10 miles of the pad, which violated launch weather rules, ULA officials said. RELATED STORIES — Amazon gets a green light to launch 3,000-satellite Kuiper constellation — Starlink satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy — Blinded by the light: How bad are satellite megaconstellations for astronomy? Project Kuiper is Amazon's answer to SpaceX's megaconstellation of Starlink satellites to provide high-speed internet around the world. Amazon hopes to build a constellation of 3,200 broadband satellites in the years ahead to cement a foothold on the space-based internet market. While ULA is launching these first Kuiper satellites, Amazon has tapped a wide range of launch services for the project, including flights on ULA's brand-new Vulcan Centaur rocket, Arianespace boosters, Blue Origin's New Glenn and SpaceX's Falcon rocket family. In October 2023, Amazon launched two prototype Kuiper satellites on a test flight, paving the way to this first fave of the first operational satellite launches.
