Space race: Amazon seeks approval for 4,538 new satellites
Amazon owned Kuiper has filed an application to launch 4,538 satellites into space as competition with Elon Musk’s SpaceX heats up.
Both Bezos’ Kuiper and Musk’s SpaceX have filed applications to the FCC to allow the companies to build satellite fleets in low-Earth orbit as the tech giants line up to provide tens of millions of customers with broadband from space.
SpaceX has launched some 1,700 starlink satellites with plans for thousands more whilst Project Kuiper has already secured approval to send 3,236 satellites into orbit as part of plans unveiled earlier this week.
“We’ve invented lots of new technology to meet our cost and performance targets for Project Kuiper. All of the systems are testing well in simulated and lab settings, and we’ll soon be ready to see how they perform in space,” said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper in a statement published on Monday.
“There is no substitute for on-orbit testing, and we expect to learn a lot given the complexity and risk of operating in such a challenging environment. We can’t wait to get started,” he added.
Animosity has been brewing between Musk and Bezos ever since SpaceX secured a contract with NASA which will see the company build a spacecraft to take astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 as part of the government’s Artemis programme. Bezos filed a lawsuit in federal court which challenged NASA’s decision.
In a sign that tensions between the billionaire tech entrepreneurs are still running high Kuiper used its September filing as an opportunity to take a swipe at SpaceX with the claim the company failed to comply with regulation.
Amazon’s stock price is up 2.03 per cent today trading at $3,547.57.