Amazon has officially joined the space-based internet competition with the successful launch of its first batch of broadband satellites under Project Kuiper. This marks a significant milestone in the company’s $10 billion effort to create a global internet network that could compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink and China’s rapidly growing satellite systems.
Project Kuiper represents Amazon’s largest space initiative to date, aimed at providing high-speed, low-latency internet to underserved and remote areas across the globe. The initiative could also play a role in defense and national security applications, and its success could redefine how the world accesses the internet.
A Major Launch for Amazon
On April 28, 2025, at 7 p.m. Eastern time, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the first 27 satellites of Amazon’s Project Kuiper into low-Earth orbit. This marked the beginning of what the company hopes will eventually be a 3,236-satellite constellation. The launch had been delayed by over a year due to weather and technical issues, but Amazon confirmed that all 27 satellites are now in orbit and are successfully communicating with ground stations.
“This is the first step in a much longer journey,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on social media following the launch. “It represents an incredible amount of invention and hard work. Am really proud of the collective team.”
Amazon plans to begin delivering internet service later this year and says it can achieve limited coverage with 578 satellites. Broader service will roll out as more launches are completed. The company has until mid-2026 to deploy half of its full constellation, according to a deadline set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
How Project Kuiper Works
Amazon’s satellite internet system will operate from low-Earth orbit at an altitude of around 392 miles. The satellites will use advanced phased array antennas, optical inter-satellite links, and electric propulsion to form a flexible and fast-moving network. On the ground, customers will use new terminals developed by Amazon, including a standard device about the size of a vinyl record and a smaller unit comparable to a Kindle. The terminals are expected to cost under $400 each, making them more affordable than existing models.
Project Kuiper will deliver internet to individual homes, businesses, and even government agencies. Amazon also sees opportunities to connect its own cloud infrastructure through Kuiper, potentially giving users direct access to Amazon Web Services and other platforms.
Amazon launched two prototype satellites in 2023 and successfully tested them before de-orbiting them in 2024. According to the company, the new operational satellites are significantly improved, featuring better processors, solar arrays, propulsion systems, and network links.
Amazon has reserved more than 80 rocket launches with partners like ULA, Europe’s Arianespace, and Blue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos. The goal is to maintain a steady launch schedule and complete the constellation as quickly as possible.
Facing Off With Starlink
Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is currently the leader in satellite internet. Since 2019, SpaceX has launched over 8,000 satellites and has more than 5 million customers in 125 countries. The company has already completed 250 dedicated Starlink missions and launches new satellites at least once a week.
Unlike Amazon, SpaceX manufactures and launches its satellites using its own rockets. This gives it an advantage in both speed and cost. Starlink terminals cost around $349, and service plans range from $80 to $120 per month. SpaceX is also actively replacing outdated satellites to improve bandwidth and reliability.
In January, Jeff Bezos said he was confident Kuiper could compete. “There’s insatiable demand for internet,” he told Reuters. “There’s room for lots of winners there. I predict Starlink will continue to be successful, and I predict Kuiper will be successful as well.”
Both Starlink and Kuiper are also expected to support military and emergency services. Starlink, for instance, has played a critical role in Ukraine, providing battlefield connectivity during the ongoing war. This military usefulness has attracted the attention of global defense agencies and raised the stakes for satellite internet competition.
China’s Rapid Expansion in Orbit
China has also entered the satellite internet race with major ambitions. The government-backed SpaceSail network is already active and is aggressively expanding. Controlled by the Shanghai municipal government, SpaceSail plans to launch 648 satellites this year and as many as 15,000 by 2030. The project is part of China’s Qianfan constellation, which means “Thousand Sails” in Mandarin.
According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, China launched a record 263 LEO satellites in 2024 alone. Beijing has also revealed plans to launch a total of 43,000 satellites over the coming decades as part of several constellations. These initiatives are backed by both commercial firms and the Chinese military.
Chinese state media has praised the Qianfan project as being capable of “transcending national boundaries, penetrating sovereignty and unconditionally covering the whole world.” Western analysts see this language as concerning, particularly because China has used its telecom infrastructure in the past to censor and surveil users.
Chaitanya Giri, a space expert at India’s Observer Research Foundation, noted, “The endgame is to occupy as many orbital slots as possible.”
China’s push into space internet is also tied to its Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure program designed to increase Chinese influence. Many observers believe satellite internet access could be used as a tool for political leverage in developing countries.
The Growing Risk of Space Collisions
The increasing number of satellites orbiting Earth has raised serious concerns about space congestion and safety. Starlink alone performs around 50,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers every six months. As new constellations are added by Amazon, China, and others, that number could rise dramatically.
Dr. Hugh Lewis, a space debris expert at the University of Southampton, warned that “an eventual collision is more or less unavoidable.” If a major crash occurs, it could trigger the Kessler Syndrome—a cascade of collisions that fills Earth’s orbit with dangerous debris. This scenario could make satellite operations impossible and disrupt communication networks worldwide.
China is actively studying ways to monitor other constellations like Starlink. Researchers affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army recently published a study describing how they developed an algorithm to track these satellites, inspired by the way humpback whales trap prey using spiraling bubble nets. This effort highlights growing military interest in space surveillance.
A Global Battle for the Future of the Internet
Amazon’s Project Kuiper enters the market at a critical time. While Starlink enjoys a significant lead, the scale of Kuiper and Amazon’s experience in consumer products and cloud services give it a real chance to succeed. With a reported investment of up to $20 billion, Amazon is betting big on Kuiper’s future.
At the same time, China’s SpaceSail network is expanding fast and targeting markets in South America, Asia, and Africa. Brazil, for example, is already in talks with both Kuiper and SpaceSail as it seeks better internet access for its rural communities.
The global race for space-based internet is about more than just business. It touches on national security, global diplomacy, and the future of digital freedom. As thousands of satellites fill the skies, the companies and countries behind them will shape not just who gets online, but what kind of internet they will access.
FAM Editor: Rumor has it that the Chinese satellite have a certain amount of offensive capability. Could this become a war in space in addition to a business war on the ground?
But China seems to be a bit slower on the uptake, it seems a fair chance that their will not be completed – in fact we at FAM are predicting it will be a bust.
