Amazon’s satellite joint venture, SpaceX’s Starlink network and other satellite companies on Wednesday won a combined $278.5 million contract from NASA.
Amazon’s satellite joint venture, SpaceX’s Starlink network and other satellite companies on Wednesday won a combined $278.5 million contract from NASA to demonstrate communication in space as the agency American spaceflight moves to replace the current network of satellites in orbit with privately built systems.
NASA is increasingly looking to rely on private space companies for its operations and wants to stimulate more commercial activity in areas ranging from space communications to sending humans to orbit.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a slated network of more than 3,000 satellites built to deliver broadband internet to remote areas, won $67 million, while SpaceX’s Starlink venture, a larger satellite internet network with about 2,000 satellites in space, receiving $70 million.
NASA uses its current system, called the Data Relay and Tracking Satellite network, to communicate with spacecraft in orbit, such as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, when ferries astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
“The goal here is really to push the industry forward with us and develop these capabilities for customers not only NASA but other space customers, in hopes of reducing our costs.” , Eli Naffah, head of NASA Project Services Communications, told Reuters.
Each company is expected to complete the development and demonstration of their satellite under the contract by 2025, NASA said in a statement.
Other awards include Inmarsat, SES, Telesat and ViaSat. The competition is mostly fierce between SpaceX, Amazon and Elon Musk’s Telesat to deliver broadband internet from space, a costly commercial endeavor that could generate billions in revenue, analysts say. after full operation, analysts said.
Starlink, while unfinished, already has thousands of customers in various countries. Amazon, further behind, aims to launch its first two prototype satellites by the end of 2022.
