Technology & Science
Blue Origin Unveils 5,408-Satellite “TeraWave” Constellation for Enterprise-Grade Internet
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin broke cover on 22 Jan 2026 with plans to launch a multi-orbit, 5,408-satellite network named TeraWave—aimed at 100,000 government, data-centre and corporate customers—starting Q4 2027.
Focusing Facts
- Constellation blueprint: 5,280 LEO + 128 MEO satellites interconnected by lasers, total 5,408 craft.
- First launches scheduled for the last quarter of 2027 using the company’s New Glenn rocket.
- Advertised peak throughput: 6 terabits per second per user link, with individual LEO links up to 144 Gbps.
Context
Mega-constellations have periodically promised to upend global communications—from the 1866 trans-Atlantic telegraph cable that cut message times from weeks to minutes, to the Iridium network’s 1998 debut (and bankruptcy) that foreshadowed today’s LEO surge. TeraWave illustrates two deep shifts: 1) the migration of critical infrastructure from nation-states to a handful of billionaire-backed firms, and 2) the step-function jump from consumer broadband to cloud-scale, militarily relevant data pipes in orbit. In the long arc, the move echoes the early 20th-century race to build trans-oceanic radio networks: first a marvel, later a strategic asset that shaped World War II logistics. Whether TeraWave ever flies may hinge less on technology than on orbital traffic rules and spectrum diplomacy—SpaceX logged 148,696 collision-avoidance maneuvers in six months of 2025, a warning that Kessler-style overcrowding could throttle the very resilience these systems tout. If Blue Origin succeeds, historians in 2126 may mark this week as the moment the internet’s backbone began leaking off-planet; if it stalls, TeraWave could join Iridium and Teledesic in the ledger of over-ambitious space telcos.
Perspectives
Business and tech-oriented media
e.g., Forbes, Silicon Republic — Portray TeraWave as an exciting, high-speed contender that will intensify the Bezos-Musk rivalry and reshape the satellite internet market. Their coverage leans promotional – highlighting eye-catching specs and competition drama while skimming over regulatory hurdles or orbital-debris concerns to keep readers engaged with a success narrative.
Industry analyst and specialist tech outlets
e.g., Notebookcheck, Advanced-television — Acknowledge TeraWave’s technical promise but stress that Blue Origin must still solve massive manufacturing, launch-cadence and optical-link challenges before it can threaten Starlink’s lead. By foregrounding execution risks and market unknowns, these publications temper hype to preserve expert authority, which can understate potential competitive breakthroughs if Blue Origin delivers.
East Asian geopolitical press
e.g., Chosun.com — Sees Blue Origin’s planned constellation as another U.S. project that, alongside Starlink, is crowding low-Earth orbit and heightening collision risks amid a U.S.–China space race. Framing congestion through a U.S.–China lens spotlights Chinese satellites’ vulnerability and urges international controls, aligning with regional security narratives that cast American megaconstellations as the primary hazard.