ULA: Amazon's Project Kuiper to Launch 27 Satellites in First Full-Scale Deployment

In This Article: Amazon ( AMZN , Financials ) plans to launch 27 satellites into low Earth orbit on April 9 as part of Project Kuiper's first large-scale effort to deploy its broadband satellite network, the company announced. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 2 Warning Sign with AMZN. Amazon said the mission, designated KA-01 for Kuiper Atlas 1, will lift off aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The satellites will be deployed at an initial altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometers) before raising to an operational orbit of 392 miles (630 kilometers) using onboard electric propulsion systems. Project Kuiper aims to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet worldwide. The network is expected to include over 3,200 satellites once fully deployed. Amazon said KA-01 is the first of many launches, with more than 80 already secured across United Launch Alliance, Arianespace, Blue Origin, and SpaceX. Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Project Kuiper, said the company has tested the satellites on the ground, but this will be the first mission to fly the finalized satellite design and the first to deploy such a large group. There are some things you can only learn in flight, Badyal said in a statement published on Amazon's website. The 27 satellites on this mission are an upgrade over the two prototype models launched in October 2023. Improvements include more advanced phased array antennas, processors, solar arrays, propulsion systems, and optical inter-satellite links. The satellites are also coated in a proprietary dielectric mirror film designed to minimize visibility to astronomers. Amazon said the KA-01 satellite payload will be the heaviest launched by the Atlas V rocket to date. To accommodate the load, the rocket will use five solid rocket boosters and its largest payload fairing, measuring 77 feet (23.5 meters) high and 16.4 feet (5 meters) wide. Once in space, the satellites will initiate an automated activation sequence, gradually maneuvering to their operational orbits. The company's mission operations center in Redmond, Washington, will oversee satellite management after deployment. Amazon expects to begin customer service later this year. The company is also preparing for its next mission, KA-02, which will also launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral. The launch livestream and mission updates will be provided by United Launch Alliance through its Kuiper 1 mission page. This article first appeared on GuruFocus .