A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket has been launched carrying 27 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband spacecraft. The launch passed off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 28, 2025, at 7:01 PM EDT (4:31 AM IST). It is reported to be the primary of greater than 80 launches, that are deliberate to deploy a megaconstellation for Project Kuiper. The final finish aim for Amazon is to supply end-to-end community service, which suggests routing knowledge each to and from the satellites and from the web to the satellites and from the satellites to a buyer’s terminal antenna. The effort is anticipated to begin overlaying clients later this yr. The remaining 80-plus launches might be carried out by Atlas V and its successor, ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket.
Amazon’s Upgraded Project Kuiper Satellites Aim for Orbit to Rival Starlink Expansion
According to a Space.com report, the 27 satellites might be initially positioned at an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometres) and can later manoeuvre themselves to their operational peak of 392 miles (630 kilometres). Interestingly, reviews counsel that Amazon will ultimately harbour greater than 3,200 satellites. In distinction, SpaceX’s Starlink community already has over 7,200 lively broadband satellites. The report additional claims that the model is planning to launch 80 extra satellites within the subsequent few months.
Today’s launch used an Atlas V rocket, and the Kuiper fleet rollout will see further launch missions with extra Atlas Vs and Vulcan Centaur rockets.
Amazon has additionally superior its satellites with revolutionary applied sciences, akin to phased array antennas, optical inter-satellite hyperlinks, updatable software program, photo voltaic arrays, and environment friendly propulsion, to create a high-performance service structure, accessible from any level on Earth.
Amazon’s Kuiper launch appears close to following satellite tv for pc deployment and testing, with an strategy to compete with the operational structure of Starlink by establishing a datalink from the web right down to Earth stations.
