In the continuing rich-dude space race that nobody asked for, Amazon has now revealed plans to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink network and launch two prototype internet satellites into space by the end of 2022.

The company has filed paperwork with the US Federal Communications Commission for approval, and has pledged to spend “at least” US$10 billion on the overall project.

Amazon’s Project Kuiper program plans to build, launch, and operate 3,236 satellites, dotting the constellation much like Starlink has.

The company says the testing stage is “an important step toward Amazon’s goal of delivering high-capacity, low latency broadband communications services to tens of millions of unserved and underserved consumers and businesses.

“Amazon continues to invest in Project Kuiper as we approach full production launches and prepare to serve tens of millions of customers around the world.”

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has openly accused Amazon of filing with the FCC to delay its own Starlink program.

“While SpaceX has proceeded to deploy more than 1700 satellites,” the company writes, “Amazon has yet to even attempt to address the radiofrequency interference and orbital debris issues that must be resolved before Amazon can deploy its constellation.”