Amazon Builds 1,000th Satellite, Launches Space Internet Soon

After nearly a decade of development, Amazon is ready to sell something new: internet beamed directly from space to anywhere on Earth.

The company just built its 1,000th satellite at its Washington factory and will begin offering commercial service within weeks. For consumers, airlines, and businesses worldwide, this means real competition in satellite internet for the first time.

SpaceX's Starlink has dominated the space internet market for five years, leaving customers with few alternatives. Amazon's entry changes that, and airlines are already taking notice. Delta Airlines recently chose Amazon's service over Starlink for its planes.

Leading Amazon's space internet project is Rajeev Badyal, who previously helped launch Starlink before Elon Musk fired him eight years ago for moving too cautiously. Now he's building what could become Starlink's biggest competitor.

The journey to 1,000 satellites wasn't easy. It took Amazon's team six months to build their first 27 satellites. Today, they can manufacture 27 satellites every single week from their 170,000-square-foot factory in Kirkland, Washington.

The team had to solve countless problems, from training technicians who'd never built satellites before to redesigning parts mid-production. "It was brutal," Badyal told Ars Technica, but the relentless focus on improvement paid off.

Amazon will launch its first satellites on United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket in the coming weeks. A second Vulcan rocket is already being prepared for another launch later this year.

The Ripple Effect

This competition could benefit millions of people worldwide who lack reliable internet access. Space-based internet reaches remote areas where traditional infrastructure is impossible or too expensive to build. Fishing boats, rural communities, and developing nations all gain new connectivity options.

Lower prices and better service typically follow when competition increases. With two major players now offering global satellite internet instead of just one, consumers gain negotiating power and choices.

The commercial space industry is also getting a boost. Amazon's massive satellite production creates jobs and pushes manufacturing innovation that other companies can learn from.

Within weeks, anyone looking up at the night sky might be connecting to the internet through one of Amazon's satellites, proving that the future of connectivity truly is looking up.