Amazon announced that Project Kuiper, a satellite broadband network, will be using laser links to form a mesh network in space.
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Amazon Project Kuiper's Success
Last October, Amazon launched and deployed two prototype satellites which enabled the company to conduct extensive testing for its end-to-end communications payload and network.
"We have completed multiple successful demonstrations of that next-generation technology, maintaining 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) links over a distance of nearly 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) for the entire test window," Amazon announced in a blog post.
Before the confirmation, the optical inter-satellite link (OISL) capabilities of the project remained confidential. The success of the OISL will determine the efficiency of Project Kuiper to operate as a mesh network in space.
According to Project Kuiper's VP of technology, Rajeev Badyal, the system is designed to optimize speed, cost, and reliability. He also boasted that its entire architecture has been working flawlessly from the beginning.
Project Kuiper as Mesh Network
The OISLs are using infrared lasers which will send data between spacecraft while they orbit the planet. Amazon also detailed that they have been equipping every satellite with multiple optical terminals to allow multiple connections to satellites at a time.
The Kuiper's orbital laser mesh network is expected to move data at a speed of approximately 30% faster than the terrestrial fiber optic cables. This means that the OISL is capable of moving data faster around the world.
The first production of the satellites is slated to launch in the first half of 2024. "We look forward to making these capabilities available to public sector customers looking to move and land data from remote locations to their desired destination," Amazon added.
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