(Credit: Amazon)
In the race to get its network up and running, Amazon's Project Kuiper will try once again to launch its first production satellites, this time on April 28.
Amazon was originally set to launch its first 27 production satellites on April 9. But poor weather conditions in Cape Canaveral, Florida, prompted rocket provider United Launch Alliance to scrub the mission. More than a week later, both companies confirmed they would try again next week.
“The new date is no earlier than 7:00pm EDT on Monday, April 28,” Amazon said.
It's unclear why Amazon must wait so long for a new launch window. But the company notes that “ULA has been coordinating with Space Force on range availability,” which suggests that launch slots from Cape Canaveral are fully booked, forcing Amazon to wait its turn.
Space Force Brigadier General Kristin Panzenhagen also recently told reporters: "The Eastern Range is huge. It's 15 million square miles. So, as you can imagine, there are a lot of players that are using that range space, so there's a lot of de-confliction.”
One of the major players includes SpaceX, which the US Space Force has contracts with and can receive higher priority on the launch schedule for non-commercial missions. Satellite industry analyst Tim Farrar adds that SpaceX can essentially “saturate the Florida launch schedule and delay Kuiper launches on other rockets.”
The holdup could be problematic since the Federal Communications Commission requires Amazon to launch half of its planned 3,200 Kuiper satellites by July 2026. Otherwise, it risks losing its FCC license to operate the satellite network, although it could request an extension.
Project Kuiper is no stranger to delays. Amazon originally planned on sending up the first production satellites a year ago before delaying them to Q4. ULA then postponed the launch again, citing the need to prioritize flights for the US Space Force.
In 2022, Amazon signed deals for over 80 Kuiper launches through providers including ULA, Arianespace, and Blue Origin, some of which will go on next-generation spacecraft. Only a few Kuiper launches will occur through SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, an extremely reliable rocket responsible for deploying thousands of Starlink satellites.