Amazon wants to launch Project Kuiper internet satellites early next year

Amazon plans to launch two prototypes of its Project Kuiper satellites into orbit in the first quarter of 2023. The launch of the prototypes was supposed to take place this year, but has been postponed to next year due to circumstances.

In addition to moving the launch date reports Amazon that United Launch Alliance (UAL) will take over the launch from ABL Space Systems. The delays and the ability to launch with ULA, with Amazon scheduled 47 KuiperSat launches, forced the company to switch rockets. Rajeev Badyal, the vice president of technology for Project Kuiper, told The Washington Post.

The prototypes will be transported on ULA’s new rocket, the Vulcan Centaur. The launch of the satellites will also be the rocket’s first flight. The Vulcan Centaur rocket has been in development since 2014, but the first launch has been repeatedly delayed due to delays in the development of the BE-4 engine, among other things. It was designed by Blue Origin, the space company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The Vulcan Centaur rocket is launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. In addition to prototypes from Amazon, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander is aboard the rocket. The lunar lander was commissioned by NASA.

Amazon has been working on offering satellite internet for some time now. The company received approval from the FCC in 2020 to launch more than 3,200 satellites into low Earth orbit by 2029. With this, the company wants to compete with other satellite projects, such as Starlink from SpaceX, although that space company already offers its internet services commercially. Amazon plans to invest $10 billion in Project Kuiper.