BUSINESS TECH | Amazon to launch ground stations to process satellite data on cloud service

SAN FRANCISCO — U.S. top e-commerce leader Amazon Tuesday announced the launch of 12 satellite ground stations to retrieve and process data from satellites orbiting in the space.

Amazon said its Amazon Web Services (AWS) Ground Station unit is going to build a network of 12 satellite facilities around the world by mid-2019 to process data uploading or downloading from satellites.

The new service will allow its customers to get access to a ground station on short notice in order to handle special events such as severe weather, a natural disaster, or even sports games, said the company.

AWS Ground Station is a fully managed service, which will provide ground antennas through its existing available facilities or services for any users who consume satellite data to simplify the process of data-processing, Amazon noted.

The data retrieved from satellites will be stored in Amazon’s private cloud, and Amazon is partnering with some satellite companies including DigitalGlobe, Spire Global, HawkEye360 and BlackSky to boost the growing market of satellite-related business.

In September, Amazon announced its cooperation with Iridium Communications to build a satellite-based network for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.