Amazon Project Kuiper Broadband Constellation

[gongora]

1181-EX-ST-2021

(2) Explanation of why an STA is needed.
Amazon seeks special temporary authority for a series of tests to evaluate the functionality and
performance of prototype earth station and spacecraft antennas by operating an on-site drone test
station comprised of commercial off-the-shelf radiofrequency (“RF”) equipment while flying over
stationary equipment under test. Amazon seeks to commence testing as soon as possible, by
August 1, 2021, to allow it to evaluate prototype equipment in furtherance of developing
innovative satellite-delivered services to customers. Accordingly, grant of the requested
experimental authority would serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

(3) Description of the operation to be conducted and its purpose.
Amazon proposes to fly a drone, in compliance with applicable Federal Aviation Administration
(“FAA”) regulations, at a maximum altitude of 400 feet above ground level (AGL) to test
communications with a prototype earth station (“Antenna 1”) and a prototype spacecraft antenna
(“Antenna 2”).
...

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/fccspace/status/1433088594957246467

Applicant: Kuiper Systems LLC
Dates: 09/01/2021-02/22/2022
Purpose: Amazon proposes to conduct testing of prototype antennas at indoor labs.

on Kuip(...)
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=109598

[su27k]

Verizon announces intent to use Amazon’s planned Project Kuiper constellation

Verizon Communications is working with Amazon to develop solutions for its proposed Project Kuiper megaconstellation, with the aim of using the satellites to extend connectivity services to more rural and remote communities across the United States.

The U.S. telecom giant said Oct. 26 it has started developing commercial models and technical specifications for its terrestrial network to enable it to use the roughly 3,200 broadband satellites envisaged by Project Kuiper, which has yet to launch any to low Earth orbit (LEO).

Amazon has committed an initial $10 billion to develop Project Kuiper and must deploy half the network by July 2026, and the rest by July 2029, under its license conditions.

While its partnership with Verizon will focus on backhaul services to extend the telco’s 4G/LTE and 5G data networks to more areas, it will also explore connectivity solutions for domestic and global industries, including agriculture, energy, manufacturing and transportation.

[su27k]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1453061006293360651

Amazon SVP David Limp, speaking to #MWCLA21 from the company's Project Kuiper facility, says the first satellites are being built and shows a test firing of a hall thruster:

$AMZN

[panyagua]

Verizon announces intent to use Amazon’s planned Project Kuiper constellation

Verizon Communications is working with Amazon to develop solutions for its proposed Project Kuiper megaconstellation, with the aim of using the satellites to extend connectivity services to more rural and remote communities across the United States.

The U.S. telecom giant said Oct. 26 it has started developing commercial models and technical specifications for its terrestrial network to enable it to use the roughly 3,200 broadband satellites envisaged by Project Kuiper, which has yet to launch any to low Earth orbit (LEO).

Amazon has committed an initial $10 billion to develop Project Kuiper and must deploy half the network by July 2026, and the rest by July 2029, under its license conditions.

While its partnership with Verizon will focus on backhaul services to extend the telco’s 4G/LTE and 5G data networks to more areas, it will also explore connectivity solutions for domestic and global industries, including agriculture, energy, manufacturing and transportation.

So my understanding is that Verizon with Kuiper and AT&T with OneWeb will still setup towers and the constellations will simply replace fiber.  Assuming they can get sufficient tower coverage, does this not kill the business case for Lynk and ASTS?

[edzieba]

So my understanding is that Verizon with Kuiper and AT&T with OneWeb will still setup towers and the constellations will simply replace fiber.  Assuming they can get sufficient tower coverage, does this not kill the business case for Lynk and ASTS?

Only in areas concentrated enough for a single or small number of local towers to be deployed to service that area. When you have a few thousand square km with a handful of mobile users, local cells are less attractive than broad area coverage.
Or for an absolute minimum barrier to entry, it's hard to beat 'somehow get a single phone there'. There's a definitely minimum level of investment required to purchase, deploy, and service a cell site along with the upkeep costs of the satellite backhaul service. Compare that to the purchase cost of a single phone and its service plan, and it's hard to beat. As an extreme example, if you have a few hundred remote villages then it is easy to drive around and hand over a single rugged phone and a solar charger and pay for that service contract to connect a few thousand people to emergency services, but deploying a cell site for every village would be far more expensive and require a lot more logistics backhaul to service them (vs. "we haven't heard from village X in a while, drive over with another phone and charger in case theirs broke").

[gongora]

Project Kuiper announces plans and launch provider for prototype satellites

Amazon’s Project Kuiper will launch two satellites by Q4 2022 on ABL Space Systems' all-new RS1 rocket.

Amazon continues to make progress on Project Kuiper, a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation that will provide fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. This is a major, long-term initiative, and today we're excited to share plans to launch and deploy our first satellites.

Introducing KuiperSat-1 and 2
This morning, we filed an experimental license application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch, deploy, and operate two prototype satellites for Project Kuiper. These satellites—KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2—are an important step in the development process. They allow us to test the communications and networking technology that will be used in our final satellite design, and help us validate launch operations and mission management procedures that will be used when deploying our full constellation.

"We’ve invented lots of new technology to meet our cost and performance targets for Project Kuiper. All of the systems are testing well in simulated and lab settings, and we’ll soon be ready to see how they perform in space," said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper. "There is no substitute for on-orbit testing, and we expect to learn a lot given the complexity and risk of operating in such a challenging environment. We can’t wait to get started."

KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 will include much of the technology and sub-systems that power the production version of our satellite design, including phased array and parabolic antennas, power and propulsion systems, and custom-designed modems. The team will also conduct experimental tests using prototypes of our low-cost customer terminal, which has been designed to provide fast, reliable service at a more affordable price than legacy antennas.

Protecting Earth and space
Amazon is committed to being a responsible steward of Earth and space, and we’ve architected our system and operational procedures to help protect others operating in and around low Earth orbit. KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 are designed for atmospheric demise and will be actively deorbited after the mission, and our application outlines additional measures we’re taking to avoid and mitigate the risk of orbital debris.

The team is also committed to working with astronomers and others in the industry to reduce the visibility of Kuiper System satellites. We’ve joined several conferences to engage directly with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the American Astronomical Society and are applying learnings from those discussions to our prototype plans. For example, one of the two prototype satellites will include a sunshade to help us understand whether it is an effective way to reduce reflectivity and mitigate its impact on ground-based optical telescopes. We will collect data to compare reflectivity between the two spacecraft, and share any learnings with the astronomy community following the mission.

Multi-launch agreement with ABL Space Systems
Alongside our FCC application, we're also excited to announce an agreement with ABL Space Systems to support these initial launches using its all-new RS1 rocket. Launches will take place at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

With a one-ton-plus payload capacity, RS1 delivers the right capacity and cost-efficiency to support our mission profile. ABL’s RS1 and GS0 launch system are also fully containerized and mobile, providing the speed and flexibility to support these early launches. We have been working closely with the ABL team for several months and already completed two integration design reviews—including plans for a novel adapter design. We will conduct an initial fit check early next year.

"Kuiper's mission to bring high-speed, low-latency broadband service to underserved communities is highly motivating for our team here at ABL," said Harry O'Hanley, CEO of ABL. "Amazon will play a central role in the next generation of space infrastructure, and we're proud to have been selected as their launch partner for these critical early flights."

We have been impressed by ABL’s unique capabilities, rapid development progress, and dedication to customers, and we’re excited to add RS1 among the different launch vehicles we’ll use to deploy our satellites. We see this as just the start of a long-term relationship together and look forward to supporting ABL as they expand their business.

Amazon continues to invest in Project Kuiper as we approach full production launches and prepare to serve tens of millions of customers around the world. There are now more than 750 people working on the project, and we plan to add hundreds more to the team in the coming year. If you’re interested in joining our world-class team of scientists and engineers, view open roles.

Read more about plans for KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 in our official application to the FCC.

(FCC experimental permit app 0956-EX-CN-2021)

[TrevorMonty]

Amazon wants to double constellation to 7,774 satellites. If so they are going need all the new RLVs in development.

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/amazon-files-for-permission-to-double-kuiper-satellite-constellation/

Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk

[su27k]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1471563046854307842

Amazon released a video about its Project Kuper satellite internet, with interviews of key leaders and a look inside its facility in Redmond, Washington – no footage of the satellites or consumer antennas, however.

[Kiwi53]

If you replaced "Kuiper" with "OneWeb" or "Starlink", the video would be just the same - it's just an 'Internet for folks that don't have any' promotional item, with some half-truths. People saying "if only there was a way to get Internet", when I'm sure both OneWeb & Starlink would be delighted to provide a low-orbit Internet service within the next few (six at most) months, when Kuiper has orbited nothing at all, and wasn't willing (or able?) to show any hardware at all for this little piece of puffery.
Eight minutes of my life I'll never get back

[TrevorMonty]

If you replaced "Kuiper" with "OneWeb" or "Starlink", the video would be just the same - it's just an 'Internet for folks that don't have any' promotional item, with some half-truths. People saying "if only there was a way to get Internet", when I'm sure both OneWeb & Starlink would be delighted to provide a low-orbit Internet service within the next few (six at most) months, when Kuiper has orbited nothing at all, and wasn't willing (or able?) to show any hardware at all for this little piece of puffery.
Eight minutes of my life I'll never get back

Don't under estimate the strategic importance of secure internet backbone to AWS and their big customers. I believe this is driving force behind Kuiper not remote rural connections, but they are better spin for PR.

Sent from my SM-T733 using Tapatalk

[docmordrid]

>
Don't under estimate the strategic importance of secure internet backbone to AWS and their big customers. I believe this is driving force behind Kuiper not remote rural connections, but they are better spin for PR.
>

Putting a point on it; govt., military, and other customers. Done well they could offer high bandwidth redundancy overall, be faster than geosats, and more secure than submarine cables (which Russia may pose a threat to),

DefenseOne

[Robotical]

>
Don't under estimate the strategic importance of secure internet backbone to AWS and their big customers. I believe this is driving force behind Kuiper not remote rural connections, but they are better spin for PR.
>

Putting a point on it; govt., military, and other customers. Done well they could offer high bandwidth redundancy overall, be faster than geosats, and more secure than submarine cables (which Russia may pose a threat to),

DefenseOne

I’m convinced the real market for these mega-constellations aren’t rural customers, but users you can’t run an optic cable to. Ie: Ships, planes trucks, etc.

[Robotbeat]

Rural customers are orders of magnitude more numerous tho. Maybe true that these smaller customers are more price sensitive than ships and airplanes, but ultimately I think there’s more money in rural areas than ships and airplanes. Total addressable market is larger, and therefore companies capitalized enough to serve rural customers will also gobble up the more lucrative (but smaller total addressable market) airplane and ship market.

[niwax]

Rural customers are orders of magnitude more numerous tho. Maybe true that these smaller customers are more price sensitive than ships and airplanes, but ultimately I think there’s more money in rural areas than ships and airplanes. Total addressable market is larger, and therefore companies capitalized enough to serve rural customers will also gobble up the more lucrative (but smaller total addressable market) airplane and ship market.

A luxury holiday resort is a rural customer as well, as are the mansions along sparsely inhabited coast lines, etc... Rural and poor are not correlated, see politicians using "inner cities" as a stand-in for poor communities.

[M.E.T.]

This is a major industry-shifting event.

For a very long time lack of demand was cited as the reason for not investing in reuse but after this contract and sanctions against Russia we are actually seeing a shortage of launch capability.

Worth noting there were no wins for neutron despite the fact that it should become available in this timeframe.

Many people say that all the small-launch providers are just a bubble but with historic demand in the medium-lift sector we're likely to see even more investment. There is an opportunity for additional providers who can jump from small to medium rockets.

I don’t see how this invalidates the idea that small-launch providers are in a bubble. I see 80+ launches for the next big mega-constellation announced today, and not one was awarded to Electron or Astra or Virgin Orbit.

Small launch doesn’t make sense for mega-constellations. If these companies have to develop medium launchers to be viable then they are by definition no longer small launchers.

[wannamoonbase]

This is a major industry-shifting event.

For a very long time lack of demand was cited as the reason for not investing in reuse but after this contract and sanctions against Russia we are actually seeing a shortage of launch capability.

Worth noting there were no wins for neutron despite the fact that it should become available in this timeframe.

Many people say that all the small-launch providers are just a bubble but with historic demand in the medium-lift sector we're likely to see even more investment. There is an opportunity for additional providers who can jump from small to medium rockets.

I don’t see how this invalidates the idea that small-launch providers are in a bubble. I see 80+ launches for the next big mega-constellation announced today, and not one was awarded to Electron or Astra or Virgin Orbit.

Small launch doesn’t make sense for mega-constellations. If these companies have to develop medium launchers to be viable then they are by definition no longer small launchers.

I agree, the small launcher industry has a roll, but seems we could end up with some small launchers and large launchers that can delivery a lot of tones to LEO.

The signed deal of 83 launches with only 12 plus 15 options for New Glenn does not give a ringing endorsement for New Glenn.

It's exciting to see that many launches under contract, even if they will be 4-5 years behind Starlink.

I wonder if they even asked for SpaceX pricing?

[Athelstane]

Worth noting there were no wins for neutron despite the fact that it should become available in this timeframe.

Yes, that's telling.

Still, Amazon will need more launches beyond this batch to build out the constellation. If Rocket Lab can get to the launch pad quickly enough, they should be a in a good position to horn in on some of that second phase action.

[Athelstane]

I wonder if they even asked for SpaceX pricing?

Amazon *claims* they talked to literally everyone. Which I think is believable.

[GreenShrike]

Worth noting there were no wins for neutron despite the fact that it should become available in this timeframe.

No Japanese or Indian launches, either.

ISRO I'm not really surprised about as they haven't shown the ability to ramp the flight rate of GSLV Mk3, and OneWeb is partially Indian-owned now.

JAXA/Mitsubishi's H3, though... that I'm more surprised about. They're gunning for commercial launches much more than the H2 was.

The signed deal of 83 launches with only 12 plus 15 options for New Glenn does not give a ringing endorsement for New Glenn.

I think many of the ULA/ArianeGroup launches were Blue Origin's to lose.

It's exciting to see that many launches under contract, even if they will be 4-5 years behind Starlink.

And slightly horrifying, when you realize Amazon is spending ~$7B on launch -- it makes Starship's development costs look quite reasonable by comparison.

But Amazon is on a timeline and needs must, so...

I wonder if they even asked for SpaceX pricing?

I'm guessing yes, if only to gather intel on the competition.