Amazon's Satellite Internet Service Now Officially Known as Amazon Leo.
Amazon has rebranded its satellite internet service, formerly known by the codename 'Project Kuiper', to officially bear the name 'Amazon Leo'. The new moniker pays homage to the term Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), which refers to orbits conducted at altitudes of 1,200 miles or less. This is precisely the region where Amazon's constellation of 153 satellites orbit.
Prior to its official renaming, the satellite service was dubbed after the Kuiper Belt, an asteroid belt found in the outer solar system beyond Neptune. It had undergone six successful launches thus far, with three involving SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets and a total of 72 satellites on board.
Amazon aims to launch over 80 missions containing some 3,000 spacecraft as part of its ambitions for Leo. The service is pitted against another prominent player in the space market: SpaceX's Starlink, which recently reached an unprecedented milestone by launching its 10,000th satellite.
Leo promises to help "extend fast and reliable internet access to those beyond existing networks." This objective aligns with the goals of both Amazon and Starlink. Nonetheless, the launch of tens of thousands of satellites into orbit poses considerable risks and challenges such as debris, collision risk, and dangers for manned missions.
The initiative is laudable in its pursuit of improving internet connectivity worldwide. However, the environmental implications are an area that warrants careful consideration.
Amazon has rebranded its satellite internet service, formerly known by the codename 'Project Kuiper', to officially bear the name 'Amazon Leo'. The new moniker pays homage to the term Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), which refers to orbits conducted at altitudes of 1,200 miles or less. This is precisely the region where Amazon's constellation of 153 satellites orbit.
Prior to its official renaming, the satellite service was dubbed after the Kuiper Belt, an asteroid belt found in the outer solar system beyond Neptune. It had undergone six successful launches thus far, with three involving SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets and a total of 72 satellites on board.
Amazon aims to launch over 80 missions containing some 3,000 spacecraft as part of its ambitions for Leo. The service is pitted against another prominent player in the space market: SpaceX's Starlink, which recently reached an unprecedented milestone by launching its 10,000th satellite.
Leo promises to help "extend fast and reliable internet access to those beyond existing networks." This objective aligns with the goals of both Amazon and Starlink. Nonetheless, the launch of tens of thousands of satellites into orbit poses considerable risks and challenges such as debris, collision risk, and dangers for manned missions.
The initiative is laudable in its pursuit of improving internet connectivity worldwide. However, the environmental implications are an area that warrants careful consideration.