{"id":17568,"date":"2021-04-19T20:48:33","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T12:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/amazon-picks-the-rocket-thatll-launch-the-first-kuiper-satellites-and-its-not-from-blue-origin\/"},"modified":"2021-04-19T20:48:33","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T12:48:33","slug":"amazon-picks-the-rocket-thatll-launch-the-first-kuiper-satellites-and-its-not-from-blue-origin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/amazon-picks-the-rocket-thatll-launch-the-first-kuiper-satellites-and-its-not-from-blue-origin\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon picks the rocket that\u2019ll launch the first Kuiper satellites \u2014 and it\u2019s not from Blue Origin"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Atlas
An illustration shows an Atlas V rocket launching Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper satellites. (ULA \/ Amazon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

United Launch Alliance says it\u2019s struck a deal for a series of nine launches of its Atlas V rocket to send satellites into low Earth orbit for Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation.<\/p>\n

Amazon emphasized that this is just the first wave for a 3,236-satellite network that\u2019s designed to offer broadband access to billions of people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re determined to make affordable broadband a reality for customers and communities around the world,\u201d Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said today in a news release. \u201cULA is a fantastic partner that\u2019s successfully launched dozens of missions for commercial and government customers, and we\u2019re grateful for their support of Kuiper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither ULA nor Amazon announced a schedule for the launches, but under the terms of Amazon\u2019s license from the Federal Communications Commission, half of the satellites have to be deployed by mid-2026.<\/p>\n

Bezos is also the founder of the Blue Origin space venture, which is working on an orbital-class rocket known as New Glenn. That rocket isn\u2019t expected to go into service until late 2022.<\/p>\n

In contrast, the Atlas V has successfully executed more than 80 launches since 2002. Rajeev Badyal, Amazon\u2019s vice president of technology for Project Kuiper, touted the Atlas V\u2019s reputation as a \u201ccapable, reliable rocket.\u201d<\/p>\n

Badyal didn\u2019t rule out selecting Blue Origin for a later round of launches. \u201cWe\u2019ve designed our satellites and dispenser system to accommodate multiple launch vehicles \u2014 this gives us the flexibility to use many different rockets and providers to launch our satellite system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Because Bezos is the sole owner of privately held Blue Origin, publicly held Amazon has to navigate a careful path as it selects launch providers for Project Kuiper. Decisions that appear to favor Blue Origin could spark questions about self-dealing.<\/p>\n

Amazon declined to provide details about the process that led to ULA\u2019s selection, including details about the scope of Bezos\u2019 involvement. Financial terms of the launch deal were not disclosed.<\/p>\n

For what it\u2019s worth, United Launch Alliance now has a business connection to Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper as well as to Blue Origin. ULA plans to use Blue Origin\u2019s BE-4 rocket engines on the first stage of its next-generation Vulcan rocket, which is due to make its debut at the end of this year.<\/p>\n

The Atlas V\u2019s first stage is designed to use Russian RD-180 engines, and it won\u2019t switch to Blue Origin\u2019s BE-4. But the Atlas era is nearing its end, in part due to limits on Russian rocket imports. A year ago, ULA CEO Tory Bruno said the Atlas V would be phased out by 2024 or so, leaving Vulcan as ULA\u2019s workhorse.<\/p>\n

In an Amazon blog posting, Bruno praised Project Kuiper as \u201can ambitious project with the potential to connect tens of millions of people around the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe scope and scale of the initiative will also provide an enormous boost to U.S. leadership in space, helping create jobs and providing steady, reliable demand for the launch services industry,\u201d Bruno said. \u201cWe\u2019re honored to have Amazon turn to ULA and Atlas V to support its deployment plans.\u201d<\/p>\n