Bezos vs. Musk: Launch of Amazon test satellites latest salvo in billionaire duel

Billionaires and space entrepreneurs Elon Musk, who founded SpaceX, left and Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon and Blue Origin. In the battle of space-minded billionaires, Elon Musk has paved the way with SpaceX as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has had to play catchup with his company Blue Origin.

While Bezos retired from his role of president and CEO of Amazon in 2021, he has remained executive chairman of the board, helping steer its decisions, including where pieces of what the company has said would be a $10 billion overall investment in the program. “What those timescales really are is hard to say,” he said. “It depends on funding. It depends on how profitable these things end up being.”The launch is the latest game of catchup for Bezos’ companies, which have lost out to SpaceX on several fronts. including a lucrative Department of Defense launch contract that passed over Blue Origin’s New Glenn.

One of the issues facing Amazon’s plans, though, are deadlines set by the Federal Communications Commission, which require Amazon to have at least half of the total constellation in orbit by July 31, 2026, and the entire string deployed by July 30, 2029. So after all of the Atlas V launches, that’s less than 200 with likely only two years and change left among its other rocket contracts to get a further 1,400 into orbit before the midpoint deadline.

Technology Technology Latest News, Technology Technology Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Amazon launches test satellites for its planned internet service to compete with SpaceXAmazon has launched the first test satellites for its planned internet service. United Launch Alliance's Atlas rocket blasted off Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with the two test satellites. The liftoff marked the start of Amazon's goal to improve global broadband access with an eventual 3,236 satellites around Earth. Elon Musk's SpaceX has a head start over Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos, who has his own rocket company. SpaceX has already launched more than 5,000 of its internet satellites, known as Starlinks, using its own Falcon rockets.
Source: AP - 🏆 728. / 51 Read more »

Amazon set to launch its first Project Kuiper satellite internet prototypesAmazon aims to launch the first pair of prototypes for its Project Kuiper satellite internet system.
Source: NBCDFW - 🏆 288. / 63 Read more »

Amazon to launch first internet satellites in bid to compete with SpaceXAmazon’s Project Kuiper aims to put more than 3,000 satellites in orbit to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service.
Source: cnnbrk - 🏆 393. / 55 Read more »

Watch Live as Amazon's First Internet Satellites Launch to OrbitThe Elon Musk versus Jeff Bezos space rivalry intensifies on Friday as ULA's Atlas 5 rocket is set to launch two prototype satellites for Project Kuiper.
Source: Gizmodo - 🏆 556. / 51 Read more »