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WASHINGTON – Amazon joins the list of companies that plan a constellation of thousands of satellites for broadband Internet connectivity.
The internet shopping giant has asked international spectrum regulators to provide spectrum rights for a constellation of 3,236 satellites.
Amazon did not disclose who would build the satellites or when they would be launched, and has not yet contacted the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for access to the US system market.
The constellation of Amazon is registered with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the name Kuiper Systems. Amazon has confirmed its connection to Kuiper Systems in a statement to SpaceNews.
"The Kuiper Project is a new initiative to launch a low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation that will provide low-latency, low-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserviced communities around the world," said Amazon. . "This is a long-term project that aims to serve tens of millions of people who do not have access to basic broadband Internet access. We look forward to partnering with you." to this initiative with companies sharing this common vision. "
The news of the application of the constellation of Amazon has been reported for the first time by GeekWire.
The Amazon constellation requires three layers of satellites: 784 in an orbit of 590 km, 1,156 in an orbit of 630 km and 1,296 in an orbit of 610 km.
Many details about the constellation proposed by Amazon remain unknown, such as who would build the satellites and when Amazon hopes to have them in orbit. Amazon has not yet asked the FCC for permission to service the US market with the constellation. This application would include more details about the constellation, including how Amazon would deorb satellites to maintain a sustainable space environment.
Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos, also founded launch company Blue Origin, which is developing a reusable rocket called New Glenn to launch government and commercial satellites. The first flight of the rocket is scheduled for 2021.
The news of Amazon's Amazon repository for Amazon was announced on the same day as reports that Bezos would retain Blue Origin's property after its divorce. In a statement dated April 4, MacKenzie Bezos said that her husband would retain the entire property of the space flight company as part of their divorce agreement. Bezos will transfer 25% of its current stake in Amazon to MacKenzie, but will retain "the sole voting authority" over these actions. Even after the settlement, Bezos will remain the richest person in the world, his remaining shares for Amazon worth about $ 108 billion.
AWS Land Station
In November, Amazon and Lockheed Martin announced the launch of AWS Ground Station, which would leverage Amazon Web Services' cloud computing capabilities to support communications with satellites, particularly those in low Earth orbit.
According to the dossier filed by ITU, the constellation proposed by Amazon would surround the Earth much closer than some of the other broadband constellations under development.
OneWeb, for example, is targeting 1,200 kilometers for its initial constellation of 650 satellites.
Telesat plans to hold satellites in 1,000-kilometer and 1,250-kilometer orbits, although the number of its 292 satellite systems is unlikely to be in each orbit. Access to the US market.
The constellation of 108 satellites proposed by LeoSat would be operated at 1,400 kilometers.
SpaceX expects to exploit most of its future constellation of 4,425 satellites between 1,110 and 1,325 kilometers above sea level (although the company has asked the FCC to allow 1,584 satellites in a lower orbit in November). 550 km).
Many spectrum applications never progress much beyond the filing of initial documents. Boeing filed an application with the FCC for a constellation of 1,396 to 2,956 satellites in 2016, but said in June that it has not made any progress. The FCC International Office stated SpaceNews Boeing has removed two apps in the past year.
Amazon's system, if implemented, will likely cost billions of dollars, much like the expected cost of constellations for SpaceX, OneWeb, Telesat and LeoSat. Bezos said last year that he is already selling $ 1 billion worth of Amazon stock each year to fund Blue Origin.
This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to cover all aspects of the space industry.
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