Amazon is set to launch its first 27 production satellites for Project Kuiper aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket on April 9, 2025. The launch is scheduled for noon EDT from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with a three-hour launch window.
Next week’s launch represents a critical mission for Amazon as it progresses toward offering broadband services to underserved and remote regions worldwide. The company plans to commence customer trials later this year, with broader service availability expected in the near future.
Project Kuiper is Amazon’s initiative to establish a $10 billion satellite constellation aimed at providing high-speed, low-latency internet access globally. The upcoming mission, designated KA-01 (Kuiper Atlas 1), marks a big step in deploying over 3,200 satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO). The launch follows the successful deployment of two prototype satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, in October 2023, which validated key technologies and design approaches for the constellation. The upcoming mission aims to build upon these successes by deploying a larger batch of satellites to enhance network coverage and capacity.
In a recent Amazon press release. Rajeev Badyal, Vice President of Project Kuiper, emphasized the mission’s importance:
“We’ve designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and every launch is an opportunity to add more capacity and coverage to our network. We’ve done extensive testing on the ground to prepare for this first mission, but there are some things you can only learn in flight, and this will be the first time we’ve flown our final satellite design and the first time we’ve deployed so many satellites at once,” Badyal said.
Project Kuiper is entering a competitive internet market, currently dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink, which has already launched approximately 8,000 satellites and serves over five million users globally. Amazon aims to leverage its expertise in consumer electronics and cloud services to offer a compelling alternative in the satellite internet sector.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket used for this mission will utilize its most powerful configuration, equipped with five solid rocket boosters, to accommodate the heaviest payload ever carried by this launch vehicle. Following liftoff, the satellites will be deployed at an altitude of approximately 280 miles (450 kilometers) before using their onboard propulsion systems to reach their operational orbit of 392 miles (630 kilometers).
To support the extensive launch requirements of Project Kuiper, Amazon has secured agreements for over 80 launches with multiple providers, including ULA, Blue Origin, Arianespace, and SpaceX. ULA’s contribution includes seven Atlas V launches and 38 launches on their new Vulcan rockets.
As Amazon prepares for their planned large-scale satellite deployment, Amazon is planning to expand its facilities at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The company is constructing a $120 million, 100,000-square-foot processing facility at the Launch and Landing Facility to handle the integration and testing of the Project Kuiper satellites. An adjacent 42,000-square-foot flight hardware building is also under development.
As the launch date approaches, ULA and Amazon are conducting final preparations to ensure mission readiness. The success of this mission will not only advance Project Kuiper’s deployment but also contribute to the evolving landscape of global broadband connectivity.
