Related article: Amazon Prepares to Challenge SpaceX’s Starlink With Maiden Satellite Launch For Amazon, this is good news, as the company is working under a tight timeline mandated by a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license, requiring the deployment of half of its 3,236-satellite constellation by July 2026. Despite initial challenges, including a switch from ABL Space Systems’ RS1 rocket to United Launch Alliance (ULA) due to developmental delays, Amazon claims to remain on track. ULA launched the first two prototype satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, on an Atlas V rocket on October 6, 2023. Amazon aims to begin serving its first Project Kuiper customers by the end of 2024, with full deployment potentially extending until 2029. The company has secured 77 heavy-lift launches with multiple commercial providers, including Arianespace, ULA, and Blue Origin, the latter being Jeff Bezos’s other space venture. Project Kuiper’s propulsion system, which includes a custom thruster built by its own team and a krypton-filled propellant tank, underwent a batch of test firings. These tests went well, meeting Amazon’s expectations. This maneuverability is key for the satellites to reach their operational orbits and remain there, dodge space junk, and safely come back down to burn up in the atmosphere when their mission is over. The Kuiper system will orbit between 367 and 391 miles (590 and 630 km) above Earth, using an active propulsion system to combat atmospheric drag and maintain satellite altitude within 5.6 miles (9 km) of target operational orbits. Amazon’s design, featuring electric propulsion and a propellant tank designed to burn up during reentry, aims to extend satellite lifespan and minimize space debris. Amazon is moving forward, but it trails behind SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellite network, which already boasts over 5,000 operational satellites and over 2 million subscribers. Starlink, using Hall effect thrusters similar to Project Kuiper, recently transitioned to argon as the propellant for its V2 Mini satellites, a move aimed at cost efficiency. Argon is less expensive and more abundant than krypton, limitations that could go on to hurt the Amazon space project. For more spaceflight in your life, follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and bookmark Gizmodo’s dedicated Spaceflight page. Daily Newsletter