Private Space. Amazon Also Launches Its Satellites

In the past, space exploration was the prerogative of two superpowers – the Soviet Union and the USA. In the 21st century, private companies in many industrialized countries are sending satellites, tourists, and even electric cars into space. Space traffic is becoming increasingly congested, and the race between countries and private companies is intensifying.

On Friday, US tycoon Jeff Besos’s commerce giant Amazon launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first two prototypes of the future “Kuiper constellation,” which will consist of more than 3,200 satellites that will be used for broadband Internet access. Amazon intends to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system and get a piece of the lucrative Internet and telecommunications services coming from space.

The two demo satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, were launched into 500-kilometer orbit on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. The two prototypes will have to remain in space for about a year. Amazon’s satellites will produce a continuous stream of digital information that will help in the development and technological improvement of “real” satellites. At the end of the test mission, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 will be deorbited and should be completely destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Amazon’s space program has been extended until 2029. The first group of 1,600 satellites should be operational by July 30, 2026, with the deployment of the entire fleet due to be completed another year later, in July 2027.

Meanwhile, Spain is also successfully implementing its space program. On Saturday morning, a Miura-1 rocket launched by Spanish startup PLD Space lifted off from a military base in the Huelva region in the south of the country. This is the first step that could allow Spain to join the group of space powers. The PLD Space program provides for the evolution to the Miura-5 launch vehicle, which in 2025 should be capable of putting into orbit satellites weighing up to 500 kilograms.

The launches of these Spanish heavy rockets will be carried out from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, where the launch of the 23rd mission of the European Vega rocket was canceled at the last minute on Friday. French commercial space transport company Arianespace said in a statement that “the launch was canceled due to a faulty assembly element.” The Vega rocket launch planned to put into orbit two Earth observation satellites and ten other satellites, the characteristics of which were not disclosed.