(Credit: Amazon)
Once again, Amazon must postpone launching its first production satellites for Project Kuiper, the company’s rival to Starlink.
The e-commerce giant is now targeting "early 2025" for the launch, according to an updated blog post from the company. The satellites were previously scheduled to fly in the first half of 2024 before being pushed to Q4.
Amazon attributed the latest delay to the rocket provider for the satellites, United Launch Alliance. Last week, ULA held a call with journalists and revealed the company is prioritizing launches for two US Space Force missions in Q4.
Completing the flights will help ULA certify its latest Vulcan Centaur vehicle for national security missions. But it’s a loss for Amazon, which also hired ULA to launch Project Kuiper satellites.
In a statement, Amazon said: “We understand the importance of the US Space Force missions to our national security, and we’ve adjusted our own production and processing schedules to accommodate the shift.”
Amazon originally planned to conduct beta tests with commercial customers using Project Kuiper satellites this year. However, the repeated rocket delays mean the tests must wait until 2025.
The news also raises concerns about Amazon's meeting a deadline from the US Federal Communications Commission. The commission requires the company to launch half of the planned 3,200 satellites by July 2026. If it doesn’t, Amazon risks losing its FCC license to operate the satellite network, although the company could file for an extension.
However, Amazon’s statement noted: “We expect to increase our production and deployment rates quickly following our first mission, and remain on track to begin delivering service to customers next year.”
Previously, a group of shareholders sued the company for allegedly snubbing SpaceX as a launch provider for Project Kuiper. Three months later, Amazon announced it had secured three rocket launches from SpaceX, but they won’t start until mid-2025.