Amazon has begun the process of deorbiting two prototype satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation after successful tests. Project Kuiper is a $10 billion initiative to provide global high-speed internet service from low Earth orbit, similar to SpaceX’s Starlink network. Amazon has partnered with high-profile companies such as Verizon and Vodafone to accelerate the pace of Project Kuiper over the past year. The Kuipersat prototypes were launched in October to test the hardware and software systems for the full 3,232-satellite network, and have been used to transmit data for various applications.
The deorbiting process is an important final test for Project Kuiper’s orbital debris mitigation plan, which requires each satellite to be deorbited within a year after its mission ends. The Kuipersats were deployed into 311-mile-high orbits and are currently undergoing orbit-lowering maneuvers using solar electric propulsion systems. Ground controllers will monitor the process and make necessary adjustments to reduce the risk of collisions. The satellites will be gradually lowered to an altitude of around 217 miles before atmospheric demise follows.
Amazon is preparing to launch production-grade satellites for the Project Kuiper constellation from its factory in Kirkland, Wash. The first production satellites are expected to be launched in the next few months, with enough satellites deployed by the end of 2024 to offer demonstrations to early enterprise customers. The company plans to produce up to five satellites a day once its facilities reach full capacity in Kirkland and Redmond, Wash. Amazon is required to deploy half of the network’s satellites by mid-2026, with the remainder to be deployed by 2029 according to its license from the Federal Communications Commission.
Project Kuiper’s Kuipersat prototypes were used to test software and hardware systems for the full satellite network. The satellites were successful in transmitting data for various applications and testing a laser communication system for data transmission between satellites. The deorbiting of Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2 is the final phase of the Protoflight mission for Project Kuiper, allowing Amazon to collect data on the deorbit process as the satellites are gradually lowered from their initial altitude. Ground controllers will share data with other satellite operators and actively reduce collision risks during the orbit-lowering maneuvers.
The Kuiper satellites will continue to fire their propulsion systems in the next four to six months to lower their orbits from 285-292 miles to around 217 miles before their atmospheric demise. Amazon’s partner companies like Verizon and Vodafone have helped in accelerating the pace of Project Kuiper, which has lagged behind SpaceX’s Starlink network. With the deorbiting of the Kuipersats and the upcoming launch of production-grade satellites, Amazon is preparing to deploy enough satellites to begin offering demonstrations to early enterprise customers by the end of 2024.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper is a $10 billion initiative to provide global high-speed internet service from low Earth orbit. The company is ramping up operations at its factory in Kirkland, Wash., to build production-grade satellites for the full constellation. The company plans to turn out up to five satellites a day once its facilities reach full capacity, with half of the network’s 3,232 satellites to be deployed by 2026 according to its license from the Federal Communications Commission. With the successful deorbiting of the Kuipersats and the upcoming launch of production-grade satellites, Amazon is on track to offer high-speed internet service from low Earth orbit in the near future.
