Bezos takes on Musk as Amazon launches Starlink rival
Amazon has launched 27 satellites for Project Kuiper, its long-planned broadband network designed to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The satellites lifted off aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket from Florida last night, after an earlier attempt was postponed due to bad weather conditions.
The launch marks the beginning of Amazon’s deployment of over 3,200 satellites into low-Earth orbit, with the goal of providing global high-speed internet coverage.
“This launch is a major step forward for Project Kuiper”, said Rajeev Badyal, its vice president of technology.
“It’s the culmination of years of work by our team and partners, and it sets the stage for our next phase: deploying and scaling our satellite constellation and service”.
Tech titan Amazon has committed over $10bn (£7.4bn) to the project, with ambitions to begin customer pilots in 2026, and expand coverage in the years that follow.
The giant said the service will focus on bridging connectivity gaps in rural and underserved communities.
Bezos vs Musk
Amazon’s launch came on the same day SpaceX deployed two more batches of its Starlink satellites – 27 from California and 23 from Floria.
With over 7,200 satellites already in orbit and service to over five million customers in 70 countries, SpaceX remains the dominant player in satellite broadband.
“Starlink is continuing to expand global access to high-speed, low-latency internet”, SpaceX said in a statement.
“Our reusable system allows us to deliver new satellites at a rapid pace, and cost-effective scale.”
Despite its late start, analysts say Amazon has the resources and infrastructure needed to challenge SpaceX’s lead.
“Amazon is playing catch-up, but it’s not out of the game”, said Laura Forczyk, space industry analyst and founder of Astralytical.
“They’ve got deep pockets, a strong tech foundation, and a clear focus on commercial and government markets.”
The firm is leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS) to support edge computing and data integration.
While both companies are pursuing similar goals, their approaches differ.
Space X operates a virtually integrated launch system, while Amazon relies on multiple partners.
As the two giants expand their constellations, experts predict that the market for low-Earth orbit broadband will grow at an unprecedented pace – yet competition will remain.
“There’s room for multiple players in this space, but it won’t be easy”, Forcsyk said.
Amazon expects to launch hundreds more satellites within the next two years, with a goal of global coverage by the end of the decade.