(NET) Falcon 9 B5 • Kuiper

(NET) Falcon 9 B5 • Kuiper

A SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket will launch the a batch of 27? operational satellites for Amazon's Kuiper constellation. The mission is known as KF-01 by Amazon. The Kuiper constellation will enable Internet service for customers between 56 degrees north and south latitude. The Falcon 9 booster is designated B10XX.X for this flight. - Operational satellites of the Kuiper constellation are a significant upgrade from the two prototype satellites of the Protoflight mission. The ~572kg satellites are equipped with Hall-effect thruster technology for propulsion. They feature improved systems and sub-systems on board, including phased array antennas, processors, solar arrays, propulsion systems, and optical inter-satellite links. In addition, the satellites are coated in a dielectric mirror film unique to Kuiper that scatters reflected sunlight to help make them less visible to ground-based astronomers. Kuiper is planned to work in concert with Amazon's network of 12 satellite ground station facilities. In addition to connecting to ground stations, satellites will interconnect via optical infrared laser connections. Amazon refers to this technology as OISL (optical inter-satellite link). The Kuiper constellation is planned to consist of 3236 satellites operating in 98 orbital planes in three orbital shells, one each at 590km, 610km and 630km orbital altitude. Kuiper satellites will fly in mid-inclination orbits, enabling Internet service for customers between 56 degrees north and south latitude. Phase 1 of deployment will be 578 satellites at 630km altitude and an orbital inclination of 51.9 degrees. A total of five phases of constellation development are planned.

📍 Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

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