Amazon to launch 1st satellites into orbit: What to know about Project Kuiper

Amazon is preparing to launch its debut batch of satellites into orbit as it seeks to establish its own internet service for customers worldwide.

Project Kuiper, a subsidiary of billionaire Jeff Bezos' online commerce behemoth, is meant to one day rival the satellite constellation that SpaceX founder Elon Musk's Starlink has been building in orbit for years.

Those $10 billion plans could be put in motion as early as Monday, April 28 with the first of about 80 rocket launches to deploy a total of around 3,200 Amazon's satellites hundreds of miles above Earth. Establishing the internet constellation may require a series of rocket launches to get the satellites into space, but the initiative is seperate from Bezos' Blue Origin spaceflight company.

The first delivery of 27 Kuiper satellites will pave the way in the years ahead for Amazon to build a satellite broadband network in what's called low-Earth orbit – an altitude that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly.

Here's everything to know about Project Kuiper and the upcoming launch:

When is the Amazon launch?

Amazon will send 27 Kuiper satellites into low Earth orbit no earlier than 7 p.m. ET on Monday, April 28. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket has a two-hour launch window ending at 9 p.m. to get off the ground from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Following the liftoff, the rocket will help to deploy the satellites at an altitude of 280 miles above Earth. The satellites will then autonomously use their electric propulsion systems to ascend to 392 miles high, where they can orbit Earth once every 90 minutes, according to Amazon.

United Launch Alliance will manage the launch and deployment until all of the satellites have separated from the rocket. At that point, Amazon's Kuiper team will take control of the constellation, which they will manage from an operations center in Redmond, Washington.

What is Amazon's Project Kuiper?

The mission, named “KA-01” for Kuiper Atlas 1, will be just the first to deliver a batch of satellites into low-Earth orbit as part of Amazon's Project Kuiper to provide high-speed internet to customers around the globe.

In October 2023, United Launch Alliance sent two Amazon Project Kuiper prototype satellites into space via an Atlas V rocket. This time, though, the satellites have not only been significantly upgraded, but represent the largest deployment for Amazon, the company said.

“We’ve designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and every launch is an opportunity to add more capacity and coverage to our network,” Project Kuiper Vice President Rajeev Badyal said in a statement. "This is just the start of our journey, and we have all the pieces in place to learn and adapt as we prepare to launch again and again over the coming years.”

The first-generation satellite system will include more than 3,200 advanced low-Earth orbit satellites, which will be delivered across more than 80 launches in the coming years.

The United Launch Alliance, a launch service provider based in Colorado, will deploy a majority the satellites on its Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur rockets. However, Amazon is also planning to contract with Arianespace, SpaceX and Blue Origin – which Bezos also owns – for orbital deliveries.

Jeff Bezos to compete with SpaceX, Elon Musk

Bezos' Blue Origin company is increasingly becoming a major player in the commercial space arena, competing with the likes of Elon Musk's SpaceX for NASA's business, as well as the business of other private companies.

SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket has become one of the most active in the world – a go-to for NASA and even other private companies launching spacecraft into orbit. Musk's commercial space transportation company also leads the way in satellite launches, having launched more than 6,000 operational Starlink satellites into orbit since 2019.

Amazon's Project Kuiper subsidiary is hoping to compete with Starlink in that market with an internet service of its own.

How to watch Amazon launch Project Kuiper satellites

Amazon and the United Launch Alliance will provide a livestream of the launch that will begin approximately 20 minutes ahead of liftoff.

The webcast will be available here.

What states may be able to see the ULA rocket launch?

The satellite delivery will be the heaviest payload the United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket has ever flown. To accommodate it, the Atlas V will be equipped with five solid rocket boosters for added liftoff power in addition to its main booster and a payload fairing containing the satellites, making it 77 feet high.

For that reason, there's a chance people beyond Florida – including in states as far north as New York or Indiana – could see the launch vehicle light up the night sky.

The United Launch Alliance released a helpful graphic showing where and when spectators could see it in certain parts of the U.S., which Florida Today, A USA TODAY Network publication, broke down here.