SpaceNews.com
• Jason Rainbow
The Federal Communications Commission approved Amazon’s purchase of U.S. satellite operator Globalstar, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for Amazon Leo’s communications network. The deal is valued at about $11.5 billion and is intended to accelerate Amazon’s entry into direct-to-device connectivity as it builds a network to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink.
Project Kuiper
Latest source-backed stories
High activity
The Federal Communications Commission approved Amazon’s purchase of U.S. satellite operator Globalstar, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for Amazon Leo’s communications network. The deal is valued at about $11.5 billion and is intended to accelerate Amazon’s entry into direct-to-device connectivity as it builds a network to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink.
The Federal Communications Commission has approved Amazon Leo’s $11.57 billion deal to acquire Globalstar. The decision marks a regulatory milestone for the transaction, bringing the satellite businesses under a proposed combination with a value of more than $11.5 billion.
Amazon says the investment will support data centers, AI infrastructure, its Amazon Leo satellite internet network and media production in Germany. The spending extends the company’s presence across cloud computing and space-based connectivity in a major European market.
High activity
Kyiv says SpaceX has imposed unannounced restrictions on military-grade Starlink terminals, disrupting longer-range drone strikes and efforts to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. The reports come as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, including a strike that left 600,000 people in Kyiv without power.
The U.S. Army stress-tested Amazon’s nascent proliferated satellite communications network to assess its ability to deliver high-speed connectivity to soldiers in the field. The demonstration marks a step in Amazon Leo’s push into military communications as it develops a rival to SpaceX’s Starlink.
High activity
Starlink’s entry into India remains stalled as the company faces security reviews and spectrum requirements. The regulatory hurdles complicate Elon Musk’s effort to challenge the country’s established telecom operators, leaving the timing of a launch uncertain.
Amazon Leo says it remains on track to begin initial broadband service this year, with its first launch on ULA’s Vulcan and its third flight on Europe’s Ariane 6 in the 64-booster configuration expected “in the coming weeks.” The missions are part of the constellation’s deployment sequence.
High activity
Amazon says it has built its 1,000th satellite and is weeks from beginning its space-based internet rollout. The milestone puts the focus on the manufacturing scale and deployment cadence behind Project Kuiper as the company moves from satellite production toward service launch.
Create a free account to see more recent Project Kuiper stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
