SpaceX Continues Internet Satellite Launches as Amazon’s Project Kuiper Gets Underway
More than most other states, Florida is often associated with space travel after the historic launches performed there in the ‘60s. A lot has changed since, but Cape Canaveral is still the number one spot to conduct launches. Today, it’s tech giants like SpaceX and Amazon who compete along our east coast, as they try to establish the next generation of internet infrastructure.
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How Satellite Internet Works
While satellite broadband is an idea almost as old as the space race, several modern companies have doubled down on the promise of beaming the internet down from the stars. Once the astronomical cost of launching to space dropped in the 2010s, it was open season for companies that wanted to create mega-constellations of internet-enabling satellites.
Image by SpaceX / Pexels
They aim to make the internet more accessible in a world that’s increasingly relying on it. Many online industries wouldn’t exist without widespread internet access, like video-sharing or iGaming. Likewise, the internet is also a powerful tool for sourcing information, from the latest news to other niche interests. In industries like iGaming, some sites discuss and rank the best online casinos, including consumer-friendly details like free spin offers or deposit bonuses.
A similar information economy exists around most industries online, especially when the business model relies on the internet in the first place. Each of these websites needs two things to function – hosting and connection to the user. Satellite internet promises to connect more people to the online world, no matter where they live.
By establishing a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites, it’s possible to provide internet coverage to areas that haven’t got much infrastructure. For example, there has long been an urban-rural divide when it comes to internet coverage, as infrastructure is focused closer to the cities. That’s why getting an internet connection in the Everglades is tougher than downtown Miami, for example. With a Starlink satellite above them, even the most rural communities can access the internet with no need for fiber-optic cables.
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Starlink & Project Kuiper
To boost internet coverage, companies like Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper have stepped to the fore. In recent years, these companies have spent billions to build and launch spacecraft from Florida’s own Cape Canaveral. Those launches hold the crucial satellites that, if successful, might become the standard way of establishing an internet connection.
After testing their launches in 2018, Starlink launched its first-ever working satellites in 2019. Since then, nearly 6,000 of them have been placed into Earth’s orbit. Through Starlink, SpaceX has a significant head start on satellite internet coverage, and they continue to add to their constellation today. In April 2024, 23 new Starlink satellites were launched from the Space Coast using their Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX’s website displays every satellite launch, including footage when available.
Image by Laurenz Heymann / Unsplash
Starlink’s success has left competitors playing catch-up, namely Project Kuiper. Jeff Bezos is no stranger to spaceflight, having founded Blue Origin more than 20 years ago now. Following Starlink’s success, the retail and tech giant added Project Kuiper to its umbrella of subsidiaries. They plan to compete with Starlink by floating a constellation of satellites that provide affordable internet access. At present, they want to send just 3,236 satellites into space, though that figure will swell if the company is successful.
Image by NASA / Unsplash
Kuiper cleared two test launches in October of 2023, both at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Multiple launches have occurred since then, including some that have used SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Amazon wants to offer operational internet by the end of 2024, though the first half of the constellation won’t be in place until 2026. Fortunately, Florida and other mainland US states will be the first to benefit from early launches. Amazon has also invested significantly in new real estate around the East Coast, namely an integration facility at the Kennedy Space Center which will finish in 2025.
