Jamie Spencer
First operational deployment marks milestone for broadband push
Amazon has announced that the first operational launch of its Kuiper internet satellites will take place on April 9 at 12 p.m. ET. The satellites will lift off aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the launch will be livestreamed on ULA’s website.
The mission marks a key milestone for Project Kuiper, Amazon’s ambitious initiative to provide global broadband connectivity via a planned constellation of over 3,000 low Earth orbit satellites. Initially launched in 2019, the project has a committed investment of $10 billion, though analysts estimate the cost could reach $20 billion before the network becomes fully operational.
Testing, competition, and market ambitions
Amazon conducted its first in-space test in October 2023 using two prototype satellites. The company had intended to launch operational models in 2023, but the mission was delayed due to scheduling conflicts with ULA’s other priorities, including U.S. Space Force deployments.
“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,” said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Kuiper, in a company statement. “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.”
Race against time and rivals
Kuiper enters a fiercely competitive landscape, going head-to-head with Elon Musk’s Starlink, which already has over 7,000 satellites in orbit, along with other players like OneWeb and China’s SpaceSail. Amazon is positioning Kuiper for both underserved consumers and enterprise or government clients who require high-speed, low-latency internet.
To access the service, users must purchase terminals capable of sending and receiving data to and from the Kuiper satellites.
Under FCC requirements, Amazon must deploy at least 1,618 satellites—half of its planned constellation—by July 2026 to maintain its license. The company has secured over 80 launch contracts with ULA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s own aerospace venture.
