Amazon Launches Its First Internet Satellite: The Arrival of New People in Low Earth Orbit

Amazon's first batch of Internet satellites were put into orbit on Monday, which is the latest member of the large constellation market dominated by SpaceX's thousands of Starlink satellites.

As early as October 6, 2023, Amazon has launched two prototype satellites for the first time, which marks the official launch of Amazon's satellite Internet plan "Kuiper Plan". That launch used the "Atlas 5" rocket from the United Launch Alliance, with the satellite deployed in low Earth orbit 500 kilometers above the Earth's surface. These two satellites are mainly used to test communication technology and operational processes. The task team establishes regular communication to obtain data, laying the foundation for subsequent large-scale deployment.

On Monday, Amazon successfully launched the first batch of mass-produced satellites for the "Kuiper Plan" through a launch vehicle from the United Launch Alliance. The goal of this launch is to deploy more than 3200 satellites in low Earth orbit to provide high-speed Internet services for the world. The first batch of 27 satellites were mass produced, which were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base by Atlas 5 rockets, directly competing with SpaceX's "star chain" plan.

The Kuiper Plan is a low earth orbit satellite Internet constellation project led by Amazon. It aims to provide high-speed, low latency broadband Internet services for remote and underserved areas around the world and narrow the digital divide by deploying 3236 low earth orbit satellites. But since 2019, Elon Musk's SpaceX has launched over 8000 Starlink satellites. The company launched its 250th Starlink satellite on Sunday evening. More than 7000 Starlink satellites are still in orbit about 300 miles above Earth. As a direct competitor of SpaceX star chain, Kuiper plans to complete networking and start commercial operation in 2026 to accelerate its market share of LEO satellite Internet due to its late start. Amazon plans to invest over 10 billion US dollars, create 15000 job opportunities, promote the coordinated development of industries such as satellite manufacturing and rocket launch, and lay the foundation for the integrated network of air, space, and earth in the 6G era.

At the same time, the Kuiper Plan also faces great challenges, firstly, the production of satellites is seriously lagging behind. As of April 2025, only a few dozen satellites have been assembled, which is far below the original deployment scale. Due to the main reliance on external launch service providers, the launch schedule is uncontrollable and has been delayed multiple times due to weather conditions. As a competitor to SpaceX, the Kuiper program is still in its early stages compared to SpaceX's mature technology, and its quantity, technology, and launch efficiency are far lower than Starlink. As of now, there are 23000 artificial celestial bodies floating in low Earth orbit. The Kuiper plan to add 3200 satellites will exacerbate space congestion, which may trigger protests from the international astronomical community and pose safety risks to the space station. Compared to the profit model already achieved by Starlink, the Kuiper Plan has not yet announced a specific pricing strategy, and the balance between low-cost commitments and high upfront investment is facing challenges. Amazon needs to complete its network by 2026 to fulfill its commercialization commitment, but the current lagging progress has led to a sudden increase in cost pressure.

The Kuiper Plan challenges the market position of Starlink through technological performance and ecological integration, but is limited by deployment lag, external launch dependence, and high cost pressure; Star Chain dominates the market by virtue of its technological maturity, high-frequency launch capability and first mover advantage. The competition between the two will accelerate the technological iteration and price decline of satellite Internet, but the competition for orbital resources and policy risks may become long-term challenges for the industry.