Amazon’s First Batch of Kuiper Internet Satellites Launch Fails

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying 27 Amazon Project Kuiper broadband internet satellites has been delayed due to bad weather. The launch was scheduled to take place from Cape Canaveral in Florida, but was postponed due to “stubborn cumulus clouds and high winds.”

Image source: Amazon

Six years ago, Amazon unveiled plans to build its own constellation of internet satellites in low Earth orbit — within 2,000 km of the Earth’s surface. The company intends to provide low-latency broadband internet to consumers, businesses, and governments around the world, offering connections through special terminals. The company reportedly plans to begin commercial service later this year.

Amazon is looking to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which operates the Starlink network. Starlink currently dominates the market with a constellation of about 8,000 satellites. Musk himself is a top ally of former US President Donald Trump, which has helped Starlink expand its presence in the federal government.

As for Amazon, the company is clearly behind schedule with the Federal Communications Commission. The regulator expects the company to have launched at least half of its planned 1,618 satellites into orbit by July 2026. After the first launch, Amazon plans to ramp up the pace of launching satellites into space.