Project Kuiper...a global race to provide space Internet
ArabiaWeather - More than four years after the giant technology company's plan was announced, Amazon finally launched the first pair of satellites for the huge Kuiper project into space during the past weeks, and in a statement issued before the launch, Rajeev Badial, vice president of technology for the project, indicated Kuiper noted that the company conducted careful tests in its laboratories, and that the satellite design obtained a high degree of confidence, but he also pointed out the importance of testing the satellites in real space.
When did the project idea start?
In 2018, Amazon embarked on the Kuiper project for research and development, and in July 2020, it received a license from the US Federal Communications Commission to deploy and operate the artificial Kuiper project. According to this license, Amazon must deploy and operate half of the project’s satellite constellation by July 2026 , and it is expected that The service will be provided to the first customers by the end of 2024 , as the American company plans to invest an amount of $10 billion in the Kuiper project, and has booked 77 commercial launches in cooperation with companies such as the French “Arian Space”, the “ULE” alliance, and the “Blue Origin” company, which It is owned by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.
Objectives of Project Kuiper
The Kuiper project mainly targets billions of individuals around the world who face challenges in accessing high-quality and reliable Internet frequencies . This project aims to overcome communication limitations with regard to education, health services, modern communications, and access to other necessary sources. At the same time, it will The network is useful for various institutions such as schools, hospitals, government bodies, and other agencies operating in areas that lack reliable, high-quality communications.
Why was Project Kuiper given this name?
The Kuiper Project plans to expand its service to many countries around the world, as the project was named after the Kuiper Belt, a region located outside the orbit of the eight major planets in the solar system. The name “Kuiper Belt” is taken from the name of the Dutch-American astronomer Gerard Kuiper (1905- 1973), who is considered one of the pioneers of modern planetary science.
Where is Project Kuiper located?
The Kuiper Project has its own satellite manufacturing facility in the Kirkland area of Washington, DC, and this facility has the capacity to manufacture up to 5 satellites per day.
In addition, the Kuiper Project has begun construction of a dedicated satellite processing facility at SpaceFlorida's Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. This facility will be used by Amazon to prepare and integrate Kuiper satellites with rockets provided by Blue Origin and... ULE International Space Launch.
What are the main components of Project Kuiper?
Project Kuiper consists of three main components:
- Ground infrastructure that includes gateway antennas to safely transmit data to and from satellites, as well as telemetry, tracking and control antennas responsible for ensuring the efficient operation of satellites. Global networks are a vital link to connect these antennas to the Internet, public cloud or private networks.
- Satellites constitute the second part of the project, and operate in low Earth orbit to transmit customer data between the portal’s antennas and their locations.
- Client terminals , which are the technologies used by Project Kuiper clients to receive broadband Internet service.
What is low Earth orbit?
Space extends to an altitude of two thousand kilometers above the surface of the Earth, and this is where the Kuiper project satellites roam. Their locations in orbit range between only 590 and 630 kilometers above the surface of the Earth. This low altitude plays a major role in providing fast and efficient service to customers, and allows high-performance communications. For a variety of uses, including video calling, video gaming and high-definition video streaming.
Is it low cost?
Amazon offers a variety of flexible options to customers. In March of this year, the company unveiled 3 different architectural models for customer terminals. The small models have speeds of up to 100 megabytes per second, while the standard model can provide up to 400 megabytes per second for enterprise applications, government agencies, and telecommunications. The largest model offers a speed of up to 1 gigabyte per second, and although Amazon has not yet revealed the pricing details, it is committed to providing low prices, and will provide its services at a cost that varies from one country to another depending on local needs and requirements.
Challenges of Project Kuiper
SpaceX, led by American billionaire Elon Musk, has led exceptional efforts over the past five years, during which it launched more than 4,500 Starlink satellites to provide Internet services. These achievements made SpaceX own more than 50% of the total active satellites that... It currently orbits the Earth.
The company has submitted a request to the US government for permission to launch up to 42,000 additional satellites into orbit. These numbers place American billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, far behind in the space race after he led the Kuiper project, which was looking to launch its first artificial satellites last year, and although the company “Blue Origin” , which Bezos owns, was... Planned to transport Project Kuiper satellites, it failed to launch any of them into orbit. Instead, the first pair of Project Kuiper satellites were launched on an Atlas 5 rocket with the help of the ULE alliance.
In addition to SpaceX, there are other competitors seeking to compete, as Eutelsat's OneWeb project has 634 satellites in low Earth orbit, and the European Union announced earlier this year plans to launch 170 satellites into orbit between 2025 and 2027.
Also know:
Musk describes this mineral as “the new oil”!
Britain...the first robot to work as a school principal
Sources:
Browse on the official website