The space war between billionaires: Amazon to launch the first satellites of its internet constellation to compete with Elon Musk
Eva Deschamps / April 4, 2025
Jeff Bezos' Amazon is preparing to launch the first satellites of its constellation, which will provide Internet access from space and compete with rival Elon Musk's Starlink.
The mission, named “Kuiper Atlas 1”, involves the launch of 27 satellites using an Atlas V rocket from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) group, which comprises Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Liftoff is scheduled for April 9 at noon local time from Cape Canaveral, Florida, said ULA, which had already secured the launch of two prototype satellites for the online retail giant in autumn 2023.
The 27 satellites of the Kuiper project will be the first milestones of a constellation that will eventually include more than 3,200 satellites in low earth orbit. The aim is to bring high-speed Internet access to the world's most remote areas, including war zones and disaster zones.
According to Amazon, this satellite-based Internet service is scheduled for launch in 2025. Multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos's company aims to compete directly with Elon Musk's Starlink constellation.
But as in the field of rockets, where the two wealthy entrepreneurs also compete, the boss of Tesla and SpaceX has a good head start.
Launched several years ago, its Starlink constellation now has over 6,750 satellites in orbit, according to its website, and is the world leader in this fast-growing market.