Amazon launches the first two experimental satellites to provide Internet services

Amazon launched two satellites for testing in Florida. Through the so-called Kuiper Project, the technology company wants to compete with Starlink from Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX.

A few hours after the launch, Amazon announced that it had contacted the experimental satellites. Furthermore, the company did not share any details about the launch.

Through Project Kuiper, Amazon wants to provide broadband Internet service to consumers around the world, especially in areas where Internet access is limited. Amazon plans to start offering online services late next year.

Ultimately, Amazon’s goal is to send 3,236 satellites into space. When the project was licensed, it was decided that all satellites should be operational by 2029.

The Kuiper Project is named after the Dutch astronomer Gerard Kuiper (1905-1973), who made important discoveries in space in the last century, such as the Kuiper Belt, which is also named after him.

SpaceX sent its first experimental satellites into space in 2018. Since 2019, the company has launched more than 5,000 Starlink satellites from Florida and California.

Recently, criticism of the Starlink network has increased, especially from a scientific perspective. Satellites reflect light, disrupting observations. They can also leak radiation at wavelengths that scientists use to explore the universe.