CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Amazon launched the primary check satellites for its deliberate web service on Friday as a rival to SpaceX’s broadband community.
United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket blasted off with the pair of check satellites, kicking off a program that goals to enhance international web protection with an eventual 3,236 satellites round Earth.
Amazon plans to start providing service by the top of subsequent yr.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has an enormous head begin over Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos, who has his personal rocket firm, Blue Origin.
SpaceX flew its first check Starlink satellites in 2018 and the primary operational satellites in 2019. It has since launched greater than 5,000 Starlinks from Florida and California, utilizing its personal Falcon rockets.
Europe’s Eutelsat OneWeb is also launching web satellites, with round 600 in orbit.
Amazon initially agreed to place the satellites on the debut launch of ULA’s Vulcan rocket. However with the Vulcan grounded by issues till not less than the top of this yr, Amazon switched to the long-established Atlas V.
When licensing this system, the Federal Communications Fee stipulated that not less than half of the deliberate satellites be working by 2026 and all of them by 2029.
Amazon has reserved 77 launches from ULA, Blue Origin and Europe’s Arianespace to get all the things up.
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