NSF and Amazon's Project Kuiper establish satellite coordination agreement

The U.S. National Science Foundation has established a satellite coordination agreement with Amazon's Project Kuiper as part of NSF's ongoing efforts to collaborate with operators of satellite constellations in low Earth orbit. The agreement aims to reduce the impacts on ground-based radio, optical and infrared astronomy facilities by facilitating collaboration between Project Kuiper, NSF facilities and the U.S. astronomical community.

Project Kuiper plans to launch a low-Earth orbit satellite constellation to provide broadband internet to customers on the ground. Project Kuiper's license with the Federal Communications Commission requires coordination with NSF to mitigate the impacts of its satellites on ground-based astronomy. The new agreement builds upon cooperation between Project Kuiper and NSF NOIRLab to develop best practices through the International Astronomical Union Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference.

The new agreement includes the following key areas of coordination between NSF and Project Kuiper:

For optical astronomy:

• Working to achieve recommendations in the International Astronomical Union's Dark and Quiet Skies best practice guidance, including reducing the optical brightness of satellites through physical design changes, attitude maneuvering and other methods, maintaining orbital elevations at 700 km or lower and providing high-precision orbital information to astronomers.
• Analysis of the impact of lasers used by astronomy facilities on Project Kuiper's satellites. Project Kuiper plans to request the removal of its satellites from the U.S Department of Defense Laser Clearinghouse coordination system.

For radio astronomy:

• Collaboration with the NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory to ensure that their broadband satellite downlinks and gateways do not cause harmful interference or damage to radio astronomy receivers.

Although not required by Project Kuiper's U.S. Federal Communications Commission license, the agreement also incorporates the following ongoing technical work:

• Two prototype satellites launched in 2024 by Project Kuiper, including one specially designed to reduce its apparent brightness to ground-based optical telescopes.
• To the extent technically feasible, coordination with radio astronomy observatories and implementation of the dynamic beam avoidance using the newly developed operational data sharing technique to adjust satellite transmission power levels in the 17.76 - 18.6 GHz and 18.8 - 20.2 GHz ranges for the protection of radio astronomy activities at these observatories.

"We appreciate Project Kuiper and other commercial satellite companies working with NSF to help maintain our ability to explore the wonders of our universe through the unique capabilities of astronomical research facilities worldwide," says Chris Smith, interim director of the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences.

Members of the U.S. astronomical sciences community can contact the NSF Electromagnetic Spectrum Management group for technical questions and information on how observatories can participate in this work.