The start of deployment of Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation of Internet satellites has been delayed again. Now it is planned to start putting satellites into orbit no earlier than the beginning of 2025. This could jeopardize the US Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) requirement that Amazon launch half of its planned 3,200 satellites by July 2026 or risk losing its regulator’s license.
Image source: Amazon
It was initially planned that the launch of the first production satellites would take place in the first half of 2024, then it was postponed to the end of the year, and now to the beginning of 2025. The Kuiper project plays an important role in Amazon’s strategy to provide satellite Internet, which should seriously compete with the Starlink satellite constellation.
In its blog, Amazon said that the reason for the latest delay was the company United Launch Alliance (ULA), which is engaged in putting satellites into orbit. According to her, ULA has decided to give priority to the launch of two key missions of the US Space Force in the fourth quarter of this year. This forced Amazon to accommodate changes to its launch schedule.
Successful completion of the two military missions will help ULA certify its new Vulcan Centaur rocket, allowing it to launch for U.S. national security programs. However, this situation is forcing Amazon to postpone its planned beta testing of satellites with commercial customers to 2025, which only adds to the difficulties in implementing the project.
The additional delay raises questions about whether Amazon will be able to comply with the FCC, which has ordered the company to launch half of its 3,200 satellites by July 2026. If these conditions are not met, Amazon risks losing its license to operate Kuiper’s satellite network. However, the company may request an extension if launch difficulties arise.
In its statement, Amazon emphasized that it plans to accelerate the production and deployment of satellites after the first successful launch. The company remains confident that it will be able to begin providing services to its customers next year, despite the difficulties encountered.
The company previously faced a lawsuit from a group of shareholders who claimed it ignored the possibility of collaborating with SpaceX to launch Kuiper satellites. Three months after the lawsuit was filed, Amazon announced an agreement with SpaceX for three launches, although the first of them will not take place until mid-2025.