Project Kuiper becomes Amazon Leo as satellite network trickles into orbit

Amazon has rebranded its satellite broadband plan from Project Kuiper to Amazon Leo. And no, Leo doesn't stand for "Late Entrants Only," even though the project is years behind Starlink and still not ready for anyone to use. After years of delay, Project Kuiper finally launched its first production satellites into orbit at the …

[TJ1]

Launch licence deadline?

"Amazon has obtained approval from the Federal Communications Commission for 3,236 satellites, but must have at least half launched and operating by July 30, 2026, under its current license."

3,236 / 2 = 1,618 - 153 = 1,465 in 8 months means 183 satellites launched every month.

3 launches had 27 satellites and were on ULA Atlas. = 81

Further 3 were 24 satellites on SpaceX Falcon. +72 = 153

Publicly known planned launches into 2026 will add 45 + 27 + 30 + 49 (151) = 304

Assuming those are successful that leaves 1,314 in approximately 6 months or less; 219 each month.

FCC Licence amendment incoming?

[Oneman2Many]

Re: Launch licence deadline?

There will be some loophole. They aren't going to lose their license.

[DS999]

Re: Launch licence deadline?

The FCC pretty much always rubber stamps license modifications like this. If they hadn't launched any they might have some problem, but being behind schedule is pretty much the norm in the satellite biz.

[Justthefacts]

Re: Launch licence deadline?

Yeah, but “late” is when you have a plan. Kuiper don’t even appear to have a plan any more, as they have no practical launch options declared. If they are going to launch on Falcon9, they should say so, but that is not the plan of record.

Both ULA Vulcan and Blue Origin are still 2 years away from volume launch, at best. Ariane 6 has made it clear that they will prioritise EU governmental, and already canned one Kuiper launch. Since Ariane is 2 years behind, maybe Kuiper will get *one* Ariane launch per year for the foreseeable future (2026, 2027, 2028). Anything Kuiper put up today, will already have de-orbited by the time they have put up 5 or 6 launches let alone 38. I don’t fancy standing up in front of the FCC with that.

I think they are going to be told to wind their neck in, and present a more realistic de-scoped Phase 1, relying on no more than 5-6 launches. This might actually be the best thing for them.

[Flocke Kroes]

Re: Launch licence deadline?

The closest I could get to a plan was the 6x Atlas rockets booked for Starliner. Beyond that it is go to the bus stop and hope something shows up.

[Justthefacts]

Re: Launch licence deadline?

That’s a great idea. Not only does a rudderless NASA not want the pointless Starliner, Boeing clearly don’t want to do it any more either. Win all round.

[awomanmanhasaname]

Re: Launch licence deadline?

You're being too pessimistic.

One sat up there is enough to allow an extension. Providing service more so.

I'm betting on just losing spectrum priority (but they are already last in line so it doesn't matter anyway)

[herman]

Kuiper belt lag

The lag to the Kuiper belt would be terrible - LEO is orders of magnitude better! OK, OK, I’ll get my coat…

[awomanmanhasaname]

Re: Launch licence deadline?

My bet is on Amazon going to the back of the line on spectrum priority rights.

They are already last behind other providers.

[Gary Stewart]

Fractured nursery rymes

Twinkle, Twinkle little satellite

How I wonder why you're all alight

Up above the world in orbit

Now my telescope isn't worth shit

[Griffo]

Aussies up early too

Supposedly NBN is going to move up to 100k users currently on their GEO sats over to Kuiper. This was supposed to happen in 2026.

Must be a hell of a lot of launches planned.

[xyz]

can we fill them with...

AI and chuck them at the sun. Things have changed a lot in the last few years. 2 years ago Starlink was great for the woods, but now I can get a solar powered outdoor router for 70€, a 64Gb a month sim for 7.90€ a month, a 1km HaLow bridge with WiFi hotspot for 69€, so I don't need Starlink at 40€ a month anymore. As for speed 300mbps was fast enough, so I don't see any need to gigabit. Any industrial use case will use cable, so unless this is for Amazon flying their drones I can't see who would use it. All starlink has to do is go full direct to cell and amazon is pretty much stuffed.

[Denarius]

Re: can we fill them with...

Not in Oz, the land of the late and usually wrong government body. If Starlink go direct to phone it will be worth paying a bit more to put the finger up at Big Swamp, Floptus and Vodafail and maybe even get better coverage. Whoever the NBN committee was that picked Kuiper, you can bet Musk Derangement Syndrome played a big part. As commentards calculated above, not a hope Leo will be workable in foreseeable future.

[Neil Barnes]

Imagine...

First contact is not with a human close to earth, but with an Amazon satellite far from where it should be. Its first act is to try and sign the alien visitors up for Amazon Prime...

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: Imagine...

This needs updating...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTNUm-pIFmQ

Woolworths[Amazon]?

Anthony Wedgewood[Farage]?

Terry Wogan[Elon Musk]?

[Chris 15]

Let's see

Laughable Economic Options?

Last Egotist's Onanism?

Left Efficiency Out?

Limited Emergency Optimism?

Less Effective Operations?

I guess this needs a better wag/wordsmith than I.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Let's see

How about these?

Loudly Executed Overkill

Launch Everything Often

Littering Everyone’s Orbit

Ludicrous Ego Orbiter

Late Entry Oopsie

Leaving Elon Outraged

Layers of Expensive Objects

Looks Exactly Overpriced

Loud Environmental Objection

Leo’s Eternal Overspend