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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 access to the airwaves for a constellation of 3,236 satellites.
The constellation of Amazon is classified as Kuiper Systems with the International Telecommunication Union. 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 underserved and underserved communities around the world," said Amazon. . "This is a long-term project aimed at serving tens of millions of people without basic broadband access. We look forward to collaborating on this initiative with companies that share this 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'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 New Glenn is scheduled for 2021.
Amazon and Lockheed Martin launched a ground station service in November to support communications with satellites, including those in low Earth orbit.
Amazon has not yet asked the US Federal Communications Commission for access to the domestic market with its constellation. This application would include more details about the constellation, including how Amazon would deorb satellites to maintain a sustainable space environment.
The constellation proposed by Amazon would circle 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).
All spectrum applications do not indicate that a constellation will become reality. 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.
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