Delay for Amazon’s Satellite Internet Project: Launch Postponed Due to Engine Concerns
Amazon’s ambitious satellite internet project, known as the Kuiper Project, has hit a setback as United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced the postponement of a crucial launch originally scheduled for Monday. The launch, set to take place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, was cancelled due to an "engineering observation of an elevated purge temperature within the booster engine" of its Atlas V rocket.
This launch was intended to deploy 27 additional Kuiper Project satellites, which would have doubled Amazon’s satellite presence in orbit to a total of 54 out of a planned 3,232. In contrast, SpaceX’s Starlink already boasts over 7,700 satellites and serves around 6 million users globally.
ULA has yet to provide a new date for the postponed launch. Amazon has contracted ULA for a total of 46 launches, primarily utilizing ULA’s advanced Vulcan rocket, designed to accommodate larger batches of satellites. For Monday’s launch, components including the booster, upper-stage Centaur tank, and payload fairing were produced at ULA’s Decatur facility, with the BE-4 engines supplied by Blue Origin, also involved in launching the project.
In total, the Kuiper Project is projected to involve roughly 80 launches through partnerships with ULA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and French company Arianespace. The delay poses a significant challenge for Amazon, especially as it faces a Federal Communications Commission deadline to launch 1,618 satellites—over half of its planned constellation—by July 2026. As the company seeks to establish a foothold in the competitive satellite internet market, timely execution of its launch schedule is crucial for its success.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
