Space is back in fashion, and with media interest at a level not seen since the days of the Apollo lunar missions it can be difficult to keep up. Whether it’s SpaceX’s seemingly hit-and-miss approach to flight testing, or NASA’s declared aim to return people to the moon, there’s plenty to take in.

So, when details started to appear of a rival satellite-driven internet system to Elon Musk’s Starlink from Amazon guru Jeff Bezos in the form of Project Kuiper you could be forgiven for rolling your eyes at yet another display of wealth and ego. Or could a new, deep-pocketed player in the satcom scene provide more opportunities and a better deal for those of us down at sea level?

Surely Musk has this market stitched up, with over 6,000 satellites already in orbit? Starlink already boasts having over 75,000 commercial and leisure seaborne vessels served by its system. Yet, while the headlines may have been made by SpaceX’s triumphs and sometimes spectacular failures, Project Kuiper has been quietly getting on with it.

Details are still emerging, but the pitch is that Amazon wants to provide internet connectivity to those who currently have limited or no internet access. Its emphasis is on less-developed countries and people living in remote areas – which presumably includes use at sea. Another key objective is integration with Amazon’s wider interests such as its mobile devices and the AWS (Amazon Web Services) cloud.

By contrast, it has been argued that Starlink is being used mainly to generate funds for Elon Musk’s well-publicised interplanetary ambitions – the colonisation of the moon and then Mars.

In its attempt to catch up, five satellites a day are being turned out by Amazon’s purpose-built factory near Seattle. A $140m satellite processing facility has already been established at the Kennedy Space Center that prepares them for lift-off.
Security is tight leaving experts still guessing about the design and size of the orbital units.

Article continues below…

What is known is that over 150 are already in orbit with new launches every few weeks boosting this number towards the level needed to roll out a viable service some time in 2026. Plans are in place to have 3,200 in low earth orbit as part of their ‘initial constellation’ – sufficient to provide near-global coverage.

But maybe the future isn’t about the number of satellites, but more about what they provide. Starlink has certainly made a dent in the use of the Iridium system that many of us have relied on for years for voice calls and simple text messaging. Supporters of that well-established system will argue this is a false comparison as Iridium’s robustness means it can be relied upon in rough weather, crossing oceans and in high latitudes – in a way that Starlink cannot.

Instead, the big difference is speed. With a stable connection, Starlink can deliver high-end broadband speeds allowing you to while away hours at the chart table, downloading complex weather data, updating charts, dealing with emails, watching the news, and whatever else takes your fancy. By comparison, Iridium works at the speed of a turn-of-the-century dial-up modem.

Before Starlink, the only viable comparable option at sea was Inmarsat, requiring a large outlay for the hardware and pricey subscription plans. The basic Starlink system means buying a flat plate antenna for not much more than the cost of a TV satellite dish, and subscription plans starting at £39 a month. But the ‘marine’ version of the hardware predictably costs a good deal more, and the plans start at a hefty £206 a month.

Boat owners are not going to be the primary market for Kuiper, but we can expect marinised versions of their equipment in fairly short order.
That Starlink is currently unavailable in Russia, Iran and China will come as no surprise, but less helpfully Turkey and South Africa also block its use, with the signal simply dropping out as you enter those countries’ 12-mile limits. There have also been reports of patchy coverage in the Caribbean. Starlink has to geo-fence its service wherever it has no licence to operate and Kuiper may be able to exploit that.

Amazon is playing catch-up, but when technology is developed in the slipstream of an early trailblazer it can often outperform and overtake it. Given how quickly and effectively Starlink changed things in our world, Kuiper has a similar feel about it.

And as for that new moonbase?

Let’s see.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.