Amazon has chosen SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to launch its Project Kuiper internet satellites into space. The announcement, made by Amazon on Friday, reveals that three launches are scheduled to take place beginning in 2025. Project Kuiper aims to provide global internet connectivity through a low Earth orbit satellite program.

While Amazon’s first two test satellites for Project Kuiper were launched in October, the company is catching up to SpaceX’s Starlink, which has already deployed around 5,000 satellites.

Despite being rivals, the decision to use SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is not entirely surprising, given SpaceX’s track record in providing reliable and cost-effective launch services. The report highlights the increasing reliance of satellite companies and government agencies on SpaceX’s reusable rockets.

Although SpaceX will handle some of the launches, the majority of Amazon’s satellites will still be launched by Arianespace, Blue Origin (Jeff Bezos’ company), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). Last year, Amazon secured up to 83 launches with these three companies, providing the capacity for the majority of its planned 3,236-satellite constellation.

The deployment of more Project Kuiper satellites is scheduled for the first half of 2024, with beta testing expected to commence towards the end of the following year.