Latest news with #RajeevBadyal
Hans India
6 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Amazon Boosts Satellite Internet Ambitions with Second Project Kuiper Launch
In a major move toward its goal of building a global satellite-powered broadband network, Amazon successfully launched 27 additional Kuiper satellites into orbit on Monday morning. The launch took place at 6:54 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, using United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Atlas V rocket. This marks the second successful deployment for Project Kuiper, Amazon's ambitious effort to provide high-speed internet to underserved regions around the world. With this mission, Amazon has now placed a total of 54 satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). While that's still far from its planned constellation of 3,236 satellites, the company is steadily making progress. According to ULA, Monday's launch was 'the second of 46 recurring missions for Project Kuiper.' 'This mission is ambitious. It's going to impact communities that cannot be reached with fibre-traditional communications. The solution has to be from space,' said MiMi Aung, a director on the Kuiper team, during the mission's livestream. Amazon's satellite initiative, first announced in 2019, aims to compete directly with SpaceX's Starlink — the current front-runner in the satellite internet sector, with thousands of satellites already deployed. Like Starlink, Project Kuiper will operate in low Earth orbit to enable faster internet speeds and reduced latency compared to traditional satellite systems. The network is intended to benefit remote schools, hospitals, businesses, and homes where conventional broadband infrastructure is lacking or unavailable. To meet regulatory requirements set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, Amazon must have at least half of its total constellation — 1,618 satellites — launched by July 2026. To that end, the company has secured more than 80 launch slots across multiple providers, including a few with its rival, SpaceX. In an interesting twist, SpaceX reportedly launched more Starlink satellites from the same space station just hours before Amazon's liftoff — a sign of the growing intensity in this orbital rivalry. 'We have set out to design the most advanced satellite network ever built, and we have created the whole thing, in-house, at Amazon,' said Rajeev Badyal, Vice President of Technology at Project Kuiper, in a statement to Los Angeles Magazine. While Amazon hasn't announced the date of its next launch, the pace is clearly accelerating as the company works to bring its satellite internet vision closer to reality.
Digital Trends
12-06-2025
- Business
- Digital Trends
SpaceX Starlink rivalry grows as next Kuiper deployment nears
Amazon is about to send another batch of Project Kuiper internet satellites to orbit as it seeks to take on SpaceX's Starlink service to provide broadband internet to customers around the world. The tech giant has a long way to go before it has any hope of effectively challenging Starlink, but with its second launch set for next week, progress is being made toward its goal. Recommended Videos Project Kuiper is currently targeting Monday, June 16, for the launch of 27 internet satellites aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The KA-02 mission comes seven weeks after the first Project Kuiper launch, which also deployed 27 internet satellites. Commenting after the inaugural launch, Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Project Kuiper, said: 'We've designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and every launch is an opportunity to add more capacity and coverage to our network.' SpaceX began deploying its Starlink internet satellites six years ago and now has more than 7,000 of them in low-Earth orbit, bringing broadband connectivity to more than 5 million customers globally. Project Kuiper says its initial constellation will be made up of more than 3,200 satellites, with more than 80 missions needed to reach that goal. To that end, Amazon has put together a busy launch schedule, with six additional satellite deployments planned for ULA's Atlas V rocket, at least 38 on ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket, and dozens more with Arianespace and Blue Origin. SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket may even help out. Amazon is targeting as early as the end of this year for the launch of a high-speed, low-latency satellite-powered internet service, with as few as 1,000 satellites needed for global coverage. Building out the constellation to the targeted 3,200 satellites will help to boost network performance and reliability for paying customers.
Express Tribune
29-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Amazon successfully launches first Kuiper satellites, challenges SpaceX's Starlink
United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off carrying Amazon's Project Kuiper internet network satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 28, REUTERS Listen to article Amazon on Monday launched its first 27 Project Kuiper satellites into low Earth orbit, marking the tech giant's official entry into the satellite internet market dominated by SpaceX's Starlink. The satellites lifted off aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida just after 7 pm ET. The successful mission follows a weather delay and represents a key milestone in Amazon's $10 billion plan to deploy more than 3,200 satellites aimed at delivering global internet coverage. The Kuiper network, first announced six years ago, is Amazon's most ambitious space initiative to date. The satellites, designed to orbit at approximately 280 miles above Earth, will eventually beam internet service to underserved areas across the globe. Amazon aims to begin commercial operations by the end of 2025. Amazon has secured more than 80 rocket launches with various providers—including ULA, Arianespace, Blue Origin, and rival SpaceX—to meet a US regulatory requirement to deploy at least half of its constellation by July 2026. Despite Amazon's late start, the company insists Kuiper will become a key pillar of its broader business ecosystem, including Amazon Web Services and logistics. CEO Andy Jassy recently told shareholders the project would eventually generate meaningful returns, though Wall Street analysts remain cautious. Amazon's main competitor, SpaceX's Starlink, already operates over 8,000 satellites and serves more than 4.6 million customers worldwide. Analysts warn Amazon faces an uphill battle to catch up. 'This is just the beginning,' said Rajeev Badyal, VP of Project Kuiper. 'We're ready to learn, adapt, and scale.' With geopolitical, commercial, and technological stakes high, Amazon's Kuiper launch signals a new phase in the race to control the future of global internet access.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
70% chance of favorable weather for this evening's ULA launch from Florida
April 28 (UPI) -- United Launch Alliance on Monday plans to launch Amazon's first 27 satellites after earlier launch plans were scrubbed nearly three weeks ago because of inclement weather in Florida. Liftoff for Kuiper-1 is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT from pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. There is a two-hour launch window, and it can be pushed back to Tuesday in case of bad weather again or technical problems. There is a 10-mile ring around the launch site for weather considerations. On Monday, weather conditions were listed as 70% favorable, according to ULA. The 106.5-foot Atlas 551 booster will put 27 Kuiper satellites into orbit at an altitude of 280 miles for high-speed Internet access to millions of people around the world. The Atlas V 551 rocket is configured with five side-mounted solid rocket boosters and a medium-length payload fairing, according to ULA. The rocket elements were assembled inside the Vertical Integration Facility adjacent to the launch pad. Amazon plans to launch 3,232 Kuiper satellites by 2029, including half by mid-2026. The Federal Communications Commission in February 2023 approved the entire Project Kuiper after ULA dealt with the risks of orbital debris. Last week, ULA President and CEO Tony Bruno said the company is targeting late spring or early summer for its next Kuiper Atlas launch. The company also is planning its first national security mission via a Vulcan rocket. In October 2023, ULA launched two prototype Kuiper satellites into orbit for testing. Amazon is building the satellites in Kirkland, Wash. "We've designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and every launch is an opportunity to add more capacity and coverage to our network," Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Project Kuiper, said in a pre-launch blog posting. "We've done extensive testing on the ground to prepare for this first mission, but there are some things you can only learn in flight, and this will be the first time we've flown our final satellite design and the first time we've deployed so many satellites at once." Rival SpaceX has launched 7,000 Starlink satellites for more than 5 million subscribers. Also, Eutelsat OneWeb also is entering the market for low Earth orbit satellites for internet usage. United Launch Alliance LLC was formed in December 2006 as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Amazon's Florida rocket launch may be visible in Ithaca. What to know, where to look
New Yorkers should keep their eyes to the sky Wednesday night as they may be able to catch a glimpse of a Florida-based rocket launch from their own backyards. Amazon's Project Kuiper is sending its first full batch of satellites to space Wednesday through a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, according to an Amazon news release. The 27 satellites will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and be deployed 280 miles above Earth. 'We've designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and every launch is an opportunity to add more capacity and coverage to our network,' Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Project Kuiper, said. "No matter how the mission unfolds, this is just the start of our journey, and we have all the pieces in place to learn and adapt as we prepare to launch again and again over the coming years.' Here's what to know about Wednesday's rocket launch. Liftoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 9, from Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to ULA's mission website, with a launch window of two hours. Updates on the launch and a livestream of the launch will be available through ULA's mission website at The livestream will begin around 20 minutes before liftoff, according to Amazon's news release. Although the skies are predicted to be quite clear and sunny throughout the day Wednesday, clouds are expected to roll in for the evening hours, making for possibly a difficult night to see the launch in both the Rochester and White Plains areas, according to forecasts by the National Weather Service. The guidelines are estimates based on a graphic provided by ULA, the USA TODAY Network in Florida reported. Around 330 seconds after the rocket's launch, those living in and around Binghamton and Albany might be able to see the rocket and around 390 seconds after launch, the rest of New York could possibly catch a glimpse. Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network's New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@ This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Amazon rocket launch may be visible in New York. How and when to watch
