Amazon to build its own giant satellite constellation
Capitalism in space: Amazon has officially joined the race to build own giant satellite constellations for providing internet access worldwide.
[They] plan to put 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit — including 784 satellites at an altitude of 367 miles (590 kilometers); 1,296 satellites at a height of 379 miles (610 kilometers); and 1,156 satellites in 391-mile (630-kilometer) orbits.
In response to GeekWire’s inquiries, Amazon confirmed that Kuiper Systems is actually one of its projects. “Project Kuiper is a new initiative to launch a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world,” an Amazon spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The competition now includes Amazon, SpaceX, OneWeb, and others, each of which will provide a lot of business for the launch industry. All told, more than 15,000 satellites will need to be launched by these companies before the middle of the next decade.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Capitalism in space: Amazon has officially joined the race to build own giant satellite constellations for providing internet access worldwide.
[They] plan to put 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit — including 784 satellites at an altitude of 367 miles (590 kilometers); 1,296 satellites at a height of 379 miles (610 kilometers); and 1,156 satellites in 391-mile (630-kilometer) orbits.
In response to GeekWire’s inquiries, Amazon confirmed that Kuiper Systems is actually one of its projects. “Project Kuiper is a new initiative to launch a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world,” an Amazon spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The competition now includes Amazon, SpaceX, OneWeb, and others, each of which will provide a lot of business for the launch industry. All told, more than 15,000 satellites will need to be launched by these companies before the middle of the next decade.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Which brings up the question, who plays traffic cop? I realize that space is unimaginably vast, but there must be certain orbits viewed as better than others, so who says who gets what? And what happens when we have thousands of dead satellites on our hands? Who makes sure that there is the capability and plan to deorbit them safely?
Will SpaceX haul them up for Jeff?
Col Beausabre:
There’s regulation with a focus on constellations in the making.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-19/pdf/2019-02230.pdf
Col Beausabre,
Excellent questions. Space News recently pondered similar questions:
https://spacenews.com/op-ed-protecting-low-earth-orbit-from-becoming-the-new-wild-west/
Another good question is the supply chain for the parts, components, and equipment needed for these constellations (megaconstellations?).
https://spacenews.com/ruag-revises-strategy-to-win-constellation-orders/
You noted: “I realize that space is unimaginably vast, but there must be certain orbits viewed as better than others, so who says who gets what?”
An early “best” orbit was geostationary orbit (GEO), especially for communication satellites, as once described by Arthur C. Clark.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060715074807/http://www.clarkefoundation.org/docs/ClarkeWirelessWorldArticle.pdf
In the 1970s, it was realized that the spacefaring nations could grab up all the available slots at GEO and prevent other countries from using slots that could serve them. An international organization now protects and allocates slots. In order to prevent a country or company from hogging good slots, there are drop dead dates for a satellite to be in place, otherwise the slot will become available for another satellite.
India was an early user of GEO slots, when they began to use satellites for remote doctors to use television as a real-time aid in consulting with specialists in city hospitals; seeing a patient on a monitor greatly helped with solving the patient’s problem. India was a major advocate of the regulation of GEO slots.
Edward,
In the case of GEO slots it’s the ITU as the dominant application (communication) is clear. I wonder whether an int’l org could do the same (but for mining, habitats etc.) for other hot real estate. E.g. the Lunar South pole or specific regions on Mars. UNOOSA could theoretically be the right one (but I distrust them). And would we even want it (now, later)? Ideas?
GEOs are lousy for internet. 46,000+ miles add up.