Amazon targets April 9 launch of first 27 satellites

3/4/2025 6:13

Amazon.com on Wednesday

said it plans to launch the first 27 satellites for its Project

Kuiper internet network next week, pinning down a long-awaited

start to the company's plan to deploy a massive constellation

that will rival Elon Musk's Starlink system.



In a statement, Amazon said it will launch the

"Kuiper Atlas 1" mission on April 9 at noon EDT (1600 GMT) from

the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. An Atlas 5

rocket from the Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture United

Launch Alliance will send the satellites to space, as part of a

giant multi-launch deal Amazon signed in 2022.



The mission will kick off Amazon's full-scale deployment of

Kuiper, a mesh-like network designed to top 3,000 satellites in

low-Earth orbit that will provide high-speed internet globally

and rival SpaceX's Starlink, which has more than 7,000

satellites currently in space.