Amazon does not need to have over 1600 satellites in space by the end of July
Amazon's Leo satellite constellation is not growing as fast as expected. The FCC grants a postponement but sticks to the final deadline.
(Image: Andrey Armyagov / Shutterstock.com)
Amazon does not have to launch half of the satellites for the Leo constellation into orbit by the end of July. The US regulatory authority Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has suspended the corresponding requirement.
The FCC approved Amazon in 2020 to build the Leo constellation (which was then still called Kuiper) consisting of 3232 satellites. By the end of July this year, the company was supposed to bring half of the satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The constellation is to be completed by the end of July 2029.
Even before the explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, it was foreseeable that Amazon would not manage to bring the required 1616 satellites into space by the end of July. Currently, there are around 330 satellites. In January, Amazon therefore applied for a postponement of 24 months from the FCC.
The July 2029 deadline remains
The FCC has granted this. Accordingly, Amazon now has until July 2028 to launch the first half of its satellites. However, the regulatory authority is sticking to the deadline for the completion of the entire constellation by July 2029.
“The waiver serves the public interest by promoting a second large satellite broadband constellation,” the FCC justifies its decision. “At this time, only one operator, SpaceX, is providing broadband to American consumers from low-Earth orbit.” Amazon Leo will be groundbreaking in terms of quality and cost of use.
Even SpaceX flies for Amazon
In March, Amazon announced that it would significantly increase the frequency of satellite launches. To this end, the company has booked launch capacity with Blue Origin, ArianeGroup, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and even with major competitor SpaceX.
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ULA's Vulcan Centaur and New Glenn offer the largest capacities, with 40 and 48 satellites per launch. Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin's New Glenn is not available for now after the explosion in May; the repair of the heavily damaged launch pad could take until 2028.
The next launch is scheduled for next week: a European Ariane 6 will bring 36 satellites into orbit. The satellite internet service is expected to be available in the coming months.
(wpl)
