What is Project Kuiper? Everything to know about Bezos, Amazon satellite internet service
A successful deployment would double the number of Kuiper satellites that Amazon has in low-Earth orbit, though the company has a ways to go before some 3,200 planned satellites are operating in space
- Project Kuiper is a subsidiary of Amazon, the online commerce behemoth that billionaire Jeff Bezos founded in 1994.
- The venture is meant to challenge Starlink, an internet satellite constellation service that billionaire Elon Musk has been building for 6 years.
- First-generation Kuiper satellite system is due to include 3,232 advanced low-Earth orbit satellites.
Update: The United Launch Alliance has announced that the mission to deploy Amazon's Kuiper satellites has been delayed indefinitely after "an elevated purge temperature" was detected in the the booster engine.
Amazon's next group of Kuiper satellites could soon reach orbit, propelling the company a little closer to providing internet service to customers around the world.
The batch of satellites is due to hitch a ride as early as Monday, June 16, on a United Launch Alliance rocket, which is scheduled to get off the ground from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The mission would be a small – but not insignificant – step in Jeff Bezos' plans for Amazon to one day compete with fellow billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink venture, which has for years dominated the internet-providing satellite business.
A successful deployment would double the number of Kuiper satellites that Amazon has in low-Earth orbit, though the company has a ways to go before some 3,200 planned satellites are operating in space.
Here's everything to know about Amazon's internet-beaming satellite venture known as Project Kuiper.
What is Project Kuiper?
Amazon's Project Kuiper intends to one day provide high-speed internet to customers around the world. To achieve that goal, the company has begun building a constellation of satellites linked to a global network of antennas, fiber and internet connection points on the ground.
The first 27 Kuiper satellites were deployed to orbit on April 28, 2025, following a launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida.
Amazon has touted the service as one that will benefit "unserved and underserved communities" in rural areas where internet access may be elusive.
Does Jeff Bezos own Project Kuiper?
Project Kuiper is a subsidiary of Amazon, the online commerce behemoth that billionaire Jeff Bezos founded in 1994.
How expensive is Project Kuiper?
Project Kuiper is an estimated $10 billion Amazon initiative. That includes a $140 million, 100,000-square-foot processing plant at NASA's Kennedy Space Center that will prep Project Kuiper’s satellites for launch from the Cape.
Is Project Kuiper part of Blue Origin?
No. Project Kuiper is completely independent of Blue Origin, the spaceflight company that Jeff Bezos also owns.
Aside from the shared ownership, the only connection that Blue Origin has to Project Kuiper is that its massive New Glenn rocket under development may one day be used to deploy Kuiper satellites to orbit.
Will Jeff Bezos' Project Kuiper compete with Elon Musk and Starlink?
That's the idea. The venture is meant to challenge Starlink, an internet satellite constellation service that billionaire Elon Musk has been building for about six years.
SpaceX, which Musk founded in 2002, has launched more than 7,000 operational Starlink satellites into orbit since 2019 from both Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California.
Why is it called Project Kuiper?
The initiative is named after the Kuiper belt, a doughnut-shaped region of icy bodies in our solar system extending far beyond the orbit of Neptune – the farthest planet from the sun.
The Kuiper Belt itself is named after the late Dutch astronomer Gerard Kuiper, widely considered to be the father of modern planetary science.
Where is Project Kuiper located?
Kuiper satellites in orbit are managed at an operations center in Redmond, Washington, which is also the initiative's headquarters.
Additionally, a satellite production facility in Kirkland, Washington, is equipped to build up to five satellites per day. The satellite processing facility at the Kennedy Space Center is where satellites are prepared and integrated with rockets ahead of launches.
What is a satellite constellation?
A constellation is a group of similar satellites orbiting closely together to achieve a common purpose. In the case of Project Kuiper, it is to provide reliable broadband coverage.
How many satellites will Project Kuiper have?
The first-generation Kuiper satellite system is due to include 3,232 advanced low-Earth orbit satellites.
How is Amazon getting the satellites into outer space?
Rocket launches, and lots of them.
Until Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is operational, Amazon will contract with several launch providers to deliver its Kuiper satellites into orbit.
A total of 80 Kuiper launches are anticipated in the years ahead, the majority of which will use the United Launch Alliance's Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur rockets. The Colorado-based launch service provider is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Amazon is also planning to contract with Arianespace and SpaceX.
When is the next Project Kuiper, ULA rocket launch?
A ULA Atlas V rocket is due to launch as early as 1:25pm ET Monday, June 16, 2025, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The delivery of another 27 Amazon Kuiper satellites would double the amount of satellites the company has in orbit to 54.
What is low-Earth orbit?
Low-Earth orbit is an altitude up to about 1,200 miles high that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly.
After the inaugural April launch, the Atlas V rocket deployed the satellites at an altitude of 280 miles above Earth. The satellites then autonomously used their electric propulsion systems to ascend to 392 miles high, where they can orbit Earth once every 90 minutes, according to Amazon.
Orbiting at such a height helps reduce latency and connectivity issues during video calls, gaming and streaming.
When will the Project Kuiper service be available?
Amazon estimates that Project Kuiper could begin delivering service to customers by late 2025.
How much will Project Kuiper internet cost?
Pricing details have not yet been announced. However, Amazon expects that pricing and service offerings could vary from country to country.
Contributing: Rick Neale, FLORIDA TODAY; Reuters
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the Paste BN Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com