(Bloomberg) — Amazon.com Inc. is purchasing up to 83 rocket launches from three different vendors to deploy most satellite constellation for the Kuiper High Speed Internet Service Project.
The agreements with Arianespace SA, Blue Origin LLC and United Launch Alliance represent the largest commercial acquisition of launch vehicles in history, Amazon said Tuesday in a statement. The Kuiper Project aims to provide high-speed internet from space, competing with similar offerings from the service of Starlink Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and UK-based OneWeb.
Amazon's Federal Communications Commission license requires Project Kuiper to launch at least half of its planned constellation of 3,236 satellites by July 2026, and at least 90% of its constellation by July 2029. The company refused to specify the exact number of satellites to be launched with the trio of rocket suppliers and the total value of the contract.
None of the three rockets that Amazon has selected in its last agreements have flown yet.
Blue Origin, the space firm created by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will handle 12 launches for Kuiper, with an option for 15 additional launches, using its New Glenn rocket. New Glenn has experienced multiple delays, including a recent one that will prevent it from flying this year as previously planned, said Jarrett Jones, senior vice president of Blue Origin, last month at the Satellite 2022 conference.
Majority share
United Launch Alliance won most of Amazon's contract, 38 launches, with its new Vulcan Centaur rocket. ULA, based in Centennial, Colorado, is a joint venture of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. ULA plans a first flight for Vulcan this year, a spokeswoman said.
Last year, Amazon contracted nine ULA launches using its old Atlas V rocket as part of a separate agreement for Project Kuiper satellites.
According to the latest agreements of the retail giant, Arianespace will provide 18 launches with its Ariane 6 rocket, which is still in development. The Paris-based European space consortium plans the first Ariane 6 test flight later this year and the launch of commercial service from 2023.
Arianespace and ULA are among the most established launch providers in the industry. Blue Origin is a relatively new entrant working to enter the commercial rocket payload business.
Blue Origin has not said when its New Glenn rocket will begin test flights or commercial service. “We are making great progress in New Glenn and will fly when we are ready,” spokeswoman Sara Blask said in an email.
New Glenn will operate on seven BE-4 liquid oxygen/liquid natural gas engines, the same model that ULA has selected to power the first stage of its Vulcan vehicle. Blue Origin has delivered some BE-4 engines to ULA for testing and they have been “working wonderfully” on the test benches, ULA CEO Tory Bruno said on March 22 at the satellite conference.
At the end of last year, the Kuiper Project announced plans for the launch of two satellite prototypes in 2022 from Florida with ABL Space Systems' new RS1 rocket.
Original Note:
Amazon Buys Dozens of Rocket Launches for Satellite Business
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