A few days ago, Amazon announced that its space Internet program "Project Kuiper" will carry out 83 launches in 5 years. It is reported that this plan will achieve most of the "3226 satellites into low Earth orbit" previously proposed.
It is reported that Amazon has booked services at three rocket suppliers, including 18 Ariane Space Company No. 6 rocket launch vehicles, ULA's 38 Vulcan Centaur rockets and 12 Blue Origin New Glenns rockets. While Amazon hasn't disclosed specific details yet, according to Project Kuiper spokesman James Watkins, the company has invested billions of dollars in the deal, claiming it is "the largest commercial purchase of launch vehicles in history" and expecting a lower bound of $10 billion for the deal.
In response, Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for the program, said in a related interview that "getting launch capabilities from multiple suppliers has been a key part of our strategy from day one", and he also admitted that "these large heavy rockets also mean that we can deploy more satellites with fewer launches, helping to simplify our launch and deployment plans".
Previously, in November, Amazon unveiled Project Kuiper's next steps, which would launch 3,226 satellites into low Earth orbit and provide high-speed and inexpensive broadband connectivity services to users around the world. According to public information, the satellites will operate between altitudes of 590 and 630 kilometers, and it is planned to use "low-cost customer terminals" to provide services to consumers.
In terms of price, it is reported that Amazon has said that it will take a lower price than SpaceX's StarChain. However, SpaceX has recently announced a comprehensive price adjustment for Starlink, for users who have ordered, the price of StarLink kits will rise from $499 to $549, while new subscribers will need to re-place orders at $599, and the monthly service fee will also rise from the previous $99 to $110.
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