Ava McDonnell
On Oct. 13, SpaceX successfully launched 24 Amazon Project Kuiper satellites Monday night from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking another key step in Amazon’s plan to provide global broadband internet service.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:58 p.m. EDT after several days of weather-related delays. Its first-stage booster, B1091, completed its second flight and landed on the drone ship, A Shortfall of Gravitas, roughly eight minutes after liftoff, according to Spaceflight Now.
The mission, designated Kuiper Falcon 03 (KF-03), expands the Project Kuiper constellation to 153 satellites currently in orbit. The new satellites were deployed about 56 minutes into flight, starting at an altitude of roughly 465 kilometers (289 miles) before being maneuvered to their operational orbit near 630 kilometers (392 miles), Amazon confirmed.
Project Kuiper aims to eventually deploy more than 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit to deliver high-speed internet to underserved and remote communities worldwide. The satellites are designed, built, and operated by Amazon’s aerospace teams based in Redmond, Washington, which also oversee post-launch testing and orbital operations.
The 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral had forecast a 95% chance of favorable launch conditions Monday evening. Though offshore winds and recovery risks caused delays, the mission ultimately proceeded under clear skies.
SpaceX’s role as launch provider for Amazon — a direct competitor to its own Starlink network — underscores the company’s dominance in commercial spaceflight and the growing cooperation between tech rivals in achieving orbital access.
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