Amazon’s Project Kuiper begins to deorbit prototype broadband satellites2024-05-24 17:06 by DanielaTags: Amazon, Project Kuiper
Amazon is beginning the process to actively deorbit its two Project Kuiper prototype satellites, nearly eight months after the satellites were launched. In an update on May 23, Amazon said it is beginning the final stage of the prototype mission, demonstrating active deorbit. "The last milestone in our Protoflight mission is deorbiting Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2. As part of our orbital debris mitigation plan and broader commitment to space safety and sustainability, we plan to actively deorbit all satellites within one year of their mission ending, and this final phase in the Protoflight mission will allow us to collect data on the deorbit process as we gradually lower satellites from their initial target altitude," the company said. "Over the next several months, we will continue using the active propulsion systems onboard KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 to execute a series of controlled maneuvers. Combined with natural drag from the Earth’s atmosphere, those maneuvers will gradually lower satellites to an altitude of around 217 miles (350 kilometers), at which point atmospheric demise will follow. Throughout this process, we will continue to share the satellites’ movements and ephemeris data with other spaceflight operators and use active collision avoidance as needed to further reduce risk." Project Kuiper is Amazon's $10 billion initiative to provide global high-speed internet service from low Earth orbit. The project has lagged behind SpaceX's Starlink satellite network, which already has more than 3 million customers and is partnering with T-Mobile, But Amazon has enlisted its own high-profile set of partners, including Verizon and Vodafone, and Project Kuiper's pace has picked up over the past year. Read more -here-
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