Project Kuiper joins ESA’s Zero Debris Charter

 Amazon Team

June 06, 2024

Project Kuiper remains committed to safe space operations and the long-term sustainability of space for future generations.

Project Kuiper, Amazon’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband network, aims to provide fast, affordable connectivity to tens of millions of customers in unserved and underserved communities around the world. Our network will serve individual households, as well as schools, hospitals, businesses, government agencies, and other organisations operating in rural and hard-to-reach places without reliable internet.

To deliver on this mission, we need to help protect the different environments in which we’re operating—on Earth and in space. We’ve prioritised space safety and sustainability from day one, and these principles have influenced every aspect of our satellite network, from satellite design and operational plans to the architecture of the constellation itself. For example, our satellites operate at low altitudes between 590 and 630 kilometres (roughly 367 to 391 miles) above Earth, allowing for quick and reliable deorbit of satellites at the end of their mission, and every satellite includes active propulsion systems, giving us the ability to manoeuvre each satellite throughout every phase of its journey.

Rendering of an Ariane 6 rocket, one of several rockets Amazon will use to launch its satellite constellation.

Preserving space sustainability cannot be accomplished alone, and today we are furthering this important goal by signing the Zero Debris Charter, facilitated by the European Space Agency (ESA). The Charter outlines ambitious and measurable space safety and sustainability targets for 2030 and brings together multiple organisations who are committed to this goal.

Project Kuiper has long supported the Charter’s objective to build upon consensus-based and industry-led best practices, and its guiding principles focused on minimising space debris, mitigating adverse effects, and improving our knowledge and understanding of space debris. As space technology evolves and innovation advances, we also believe there are alternatives to aggregate risk metrics that better promote the adoption of space safety measures regardless of constellation size, leading to an overall safer space environment.

As we prepare for a full-scale deployment of our satellite constellation, Project Kuiper remains committed to safe space operations and the long-term sustainability of space for future generations, and as members of the Zero Debris Charter, we look forward to working with other Charter members to align targets and objectives with the evolving scientific and technical work.