SpaceX has a big rival - Amazon has been given permission to launch 3,236 Project Kuiper internet satellites

Amazon will be able to launch Project Kuiper. It is a satellite internet project (analogous to Starlink) named after astronomer Gerrard Kuiper.

Here's What We Know

Amazon has received permission from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch Internet satellites. The company will be able to deploy 3,236 spacecraft in orbit to provide broadband Internet access to all regions of the world.

Amazon had to wait about three years after the US regulator granted preliminary permission to deploy the satellites. In 2020, the FCC additionally asked the company for a plan to reduce the amount of space debris.

Three years later, federal agency officials approved the request. They said the report received from Amazon was compliant. The company will report twice a year to the commission on the number of satellites it has launched and disposed of.

Amazon has also given assurances that it is capable of removing the spacecraft from orbit after they have reached the end of their useful life. The company will have seven years to do so. Eliminating the satellites will reduce the risk of collision with the International Space Station (ISS).

Source: Engadget