Amazon reveals Kuiper satellites after secretive launch, offering glimpse of Starlink rival

We Finally Know a Little More About Amazon’s Super-Secret Kuiper Satellites

After a tightly controlled launch, Amazon shares first video of its Starlink competitor in orbit

For years, Amazon's Project Kuiper—a planned global broadband constellation—has operated under tight secrecy. But that changed this week, when the company quietly posted a 40-second video on social media revealing its satellites separating in space for the first time.

The footage, which came days after the launch of 27 Kuiper satellites aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket, gives the public a first real look at Amazon’s hardware. And what’s visible confirms: Kuiper’s design looks nothing like SpaceX’s Starlink.

From cloak-and-dagger to orbital debut

The mission launched Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but Amazon’s coverage cut off after just five minutes—well before the satellites were deployed. That decision drew comparisons to military or spy satellite missions, where secrecy is standard.

Only later did Amazon share a grainy clip of the satellites deploying from a cylindrical carrier module. The trapezoidal shape of the spacecraft immediately set them apart from Starlink’s flat-panel architecture.

“We’re just over 72 hours into our first full-scale Kuiper mission, and the adrenaline is still high,” wrote Rajeev Badyal, VP of technology at Amazon, on LinkedIn Friday.

Badyal’s role adds intrigue to the comparison. Before joining Amazon, he led the early Starlink team at SpaceX—until Elon Musk fired him in 2018 for allegedly moving too slowly.

How Kuiper satellites differ from Starlink

The Kuiper satellites were individually mounted to a dispenser and released three at a time over about 15 minutes. This is a more traditional deployment approach compared to SpaceX’s mass release system, where flat satellites are stacked inside a Falcon 9 and disperse passively once released.

Though Amazon’s architecture is more modular and flexible, SpaceX’s streamlined process saves weight, eliminates dispensers, and maximizes payload efficiency. That allows more satellites per launch and reduces operational cost—a key advantage in the fiercely competitive satellite broadband market.

While Amazon is just starting its deployment, SpaceX already operates over 7,300 Starlink satellites. OneWeb, the next-largest player, runs a constellation of over 650.

Why it took so long to get a look

Amazon had previously only shared images of interior factory views or shipping containers for its satellites—not the satellites themselves. Requests for images or renders were repeatedly declined. In contrast, both SpaceX and OneWeb made their designs public well ahead of their first launches.

The company aims to deploy 3,232 Kuiper satellites over the next few years via more than 80 launches, primarily using ULA’s Atlas V and Vulcan rockets. With this first launch complete, the real ramp-up begins.

Estimating satellite mass and design details

According to United Launch Alliance, the total payload mass for the Kuiper launch was about 15.4 metric tons (34,000 pounds)—the heaviest ever flown by an Atlas V. Subtracting the likely weight of the dispenser, estimates place each satellite between 537 and 571 kilograms (1,185–1,259 pounds).

That makes them comparable in size to SpaceX’s Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites, which the Falcon 9 can deploy in batches of up to 28.

Both Kuiper and Starlink use laser-based inter-satellite links for signal relay. Starlink broadcasts in Ku-band, while Amazon’s system will operate in the Ka-band.

A design race beyond Earth

While Amazon has opted for a more conservative and modular approach, others are following SpaceX’s lead. China’s Qianfan (Thousand Sails) constellation, which could include more than 14,000 satellites, is reportedly using a flat, stackable design reminiscent of Starlink.

Amazon’s trapezoidal satellites may offer more engineering flexibility and better orbital dispersion, but SpaceX’s stack-and-release strategy prioritizes scale, speed, and economics—a proven advantage in the satellite broadband race.

As Amazon begins scaling its Kuiper constellation, the public finally has a glimpse into the satellite system meant to rival SpaceX. Whether its more traditional design can compete with Starlink’s aggressive architecture and head start remains to be seen—but the battle for space-based internet dominance is clearly heating up.

Stay tuned to The Horizons Times for more insights on satellite innovation, orbital broadband networks, and the future of global connectivity.