Amazon’s Kuiper division could begin launching satellites to provide broadband service in the United States, the Federal Communications Commission said yesterday.
The FCC’s International Office has approved Kuiper’s Orbital Debris Mitigation Plan. The approval was necessary to meet the conditions imposed when the Amazon subsidiary received provisional approval for his 3,236-satellite network in low-Earth orbit in 2020.
“Our action will allow Kuiper to begin deploying constellations to provide high-speed broadband connectivity to customers around the world,” an FCC order said yesterday.
Amazon’s satellite launch plans take shape in April 2022, announcing a deal for 83 launches over five years with Arianespace, Blue Origin and the United Launch Alliance. Amazon said the deal will allow it to deploy most of its planned 3,236 satellites. The company plans to deploy two prototype satellites in early 2023, coinciding with the launch of the United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket.
When contacted by Ars, Amazon declined to say when it would begin launching production satellites that would allow it to provide broadband services to homes and businesses. In a statement regarding the FCC’s decision, Amazon said: To make sure the industry is prioritizing safety. ”
The FCC said it determined that “Kuiper’s orbital debris mitigation program is sufficiently developed to support NGSO deployment.” [non-geostationary orbit] satellite system”.
SpaceX asked for a limit of 578 satellites
Amazon’s biggest competitor for low-latency satellite broadband is SpaceX’s Starlink service, but Amazon’s launch schedule is several years behind SpaceX. Amazon has opposed SpaceX’s satellite plans, SpaceX has challenged Amazon, and the two companies have fought each other in FCC proceedings.
Yesterday, in approving Amazon’s plans, the FCC dismissed objections from other satellite providers such as SpaceX and Viasat. As per the FCC order, SpaceX said, “To address Kuiper’s ability to coexist with other systems, the commission restricted Kuiper to only place 578 satellites in a 630-kilometer orbital shell. , action on the rest of the Constellation should be postponed.” Allows for “continuous monitoring” of deployments in and around 590 and 610 km shells. “
Last month’s space filing stated, “By granting the first 578 satellites of Amazon’s 3,236 satellite system, Amazon will have a path to begin deployment for ‘many months’. In the meantime, the Commission will be provided with time and additional data to assess the serious issues raised therein.
The FCC has concluded that the restrictions requested by SpaceX are not necessary.
As far as SpaceX is concerned with demonstrating Kuiper’s ability to operate safely, the terms adopted here are designed to address that point. We see no particular need to further restrict Kuiper’s privileges. SpaceX, like Viasat, has expressed concerns about Kuiper’s ability to coexist with other systems at certain altitudes, but has not identified the specific risks posed by the planned deployment of the identified systems. yeah.
The FCC order states in a footnote, “In terms of satellite count, SpaceX’s proposed second-generation Starlink constellation has been partially approved, nearly ten times more than Kuiper’s planned system. The FCC also says the requirements it places on the Kuiper and SpaceX constellations are similar.
FCC dismisses other objections
According to the FCC, SpaceX also plans to “place the Kuiper satellites in elliptical orbits that would create significant uncertainty in the predicted orbits of the Kuiper satellites due to the variable effect of atmospheric drag on orbital evolution.” , making it difficult for other operators to assess and mitigate risk. SpaceX argued that “the large covariance involved in elliptical orbits could pose a risk to SpaceX satellites operating at the same altitude during the orbital ascent phase of operations.”
However, Kuiper responded that it “uses global positioning system (GPS) measurements of all Kuiper satellites during the deorbit process to perform orbit determination and share highly accurate positional information with operators in real time.” Did. The FCC accepted the plan and imposed it as a condition of its license.
Both SpaceX and Viasat “raised concerns that Kuiper’s satellite design was not mature enough to allow review,” but Amazon said the design was complete and did not anticipate any material changes. , the FCC order states. For material changes, Kuiper must apply for a license change.
Starlink’s speeds have slowed as more people sign up, but it’s still a viable option for those without access to cable or fiber, according to CNBC, SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell. said yesterday that Starlink had its first “cash flow positive quarter” last year and that its satellite division will be “profitable” in 2023. For individual users, Starlink costs $110/month plus a one-time hardware cost of $599.
