The launch marks the first time Amazon has put satellites into space.
Topline
Two Amazon prototype satellites were launched into space Friday afternoon, marking the early stages of a company initiative, known as Project Kuiper, that looks to establish an array of more than 3,000 internet satellites in low orbit that could serve as a competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink.Key Facts
The prototype satellites are the first versions of more than 3,200 satellites that will be deployed through Project Kuiper in the next six years, half of which must be launched by July 2026 under a regulatory deadline.
Amazon has pledged to invest $10 billion into Project Kuiper, which aims to find its footing in a lucrative satellite internet market that includes an estimated 4 billion people in need of internet access, according to the .
The project may one day act as a competitor to the Starlink internet satellites produced by Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, which boasts a massive head start that has culminated in more than 4,000 satellites currently orbiting Earth.
