Amazon's Project Kuiper Faces Satellite Production Delays

Amazon’s Project Kuiper, designed to provide internet via a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites, is struggling to ramp up production, jeopardizing its ability to meet an FCC requirement to launch over 1,600 satellites by next summer. Despite being more than a year into manufacturing, Amazon has completed only a few dozen satellites, significantly lagging behind rival Starlink, which has about 8,000 satellites in orbit and over 5 million subscribers. Production delays are compounded by difficulties in securing rocket launches, with recent launches postponed due to common industry setbacks like weather. These obstacles may force Amazon to seek an extension from the FCC to meet its regulatory obligations. The slow progress highlights the significant gap between Project Kuiper and Starlink in both satellite deployment and service reach.