[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Amazon has launched its space internet business by signing the largest commercial satellite launch contract in the history of the commercial space industry.
On the 5th (local time), according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others, Amazon announced that it had signed satellite launch contracts with three rocket launch companies. The parties involved are United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between aerospace companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin; the French satellite launch company Arianespace; and Blue Origin, founded by Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos. Over the next five years, Amazon plans 38 launches with ULA, 18 launches with Arianespace, and 12 launches with Blue Origin, along with an additional 15 launch option contracts with Blue Origin.
This contract is part of Amazon's space internet project "Project Kuiper," which aims to provide high-speed internet services worldwide through a network of 3,236 satellites launched into low Earth orbit. Amazon plans to invest more than $10 billion (approximately 12.2 trillion KRW) in this project.
Amazon did not disclose the contract amount separately. However, foreign media estimate that the contract is worth several trillion won based on the launch costs of each company. Amazon stated that this rocket launch contract is the largest in the history of the commercial space industry.
Amazon plans to first test launch a pair of Kuiper prototype satellites by the end of this year, followed by the full-scale launch of operational satellites.
This contract is expected to intensify competition in the space internet market between Amazon and industry leader SpaceX. SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has launched over 1,900 satellites and provides Starlink satellite internet services to about 250,000 users.
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