Amazon’s satellite venture, SpaceX’s Starlink Network and other satellite firms on Wednesday won a combined $278.5 million (about Rs 2120 crore) in contracts from NASA to demonstrate communications in space as the US space agency privately held its current orbit in orbit. proceeds to replace the satellite network. Built-in System.
NASA It seeks to rely on private space companies for its operations and encourages more commercial activity in areas ranging from space communications to sending humans into orbit.
of amazon Project Kuiper, a planned network of more than 3,000 satellites built to beam broadband Internet to remote areas, won $67 million (about Rs 510.9219 crore), while SpaceX’s The Starlink venture, a large satellite-internet network that already has some 2,000 satellites, has received $70 million (about Rs 533.85 crore).
NASA uses its current system, called the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite Network, to communicate with spacecraft in orbit, such as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, when it transports astronauts to and from the International Space Station. ferry for
Eli Naffa, NASA’s head of communications, said, “The goal here is really to bring the industry together with us and develop these capabilities for customers, who are not only NASA, but other space-based customers, hopefully. Our costs will come down.” service project, told Reuters.
Each company is expected to complete the development and demonstration of its satellites under the contract by 2025, NASA said in a statement.
Other awardees include Inmarsat, SES, Telesat and Viasat. Competition is fierce mainly between Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Amazon and Telesat to provide broadband Internet from space, a costly commercial endeavor that could generate billions in revenue when fully operational, analysts say.
starlink, while not yet completed, has thousands of customers in various countries. Amazon, further back, aims to launch its first two prototype satellites in late 2022.
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