The first 27 satellites, planned for the first generation of constellations, were set to be lifted at 7pm on April 9th.
Spotlights exhibited the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V Rocket, ready to fly from Florida’s Space Coast on the evening of April 9th. The cold white steam radiated from the cryogenic fuel tank on her main stage danced in the whipping wind that was supposed to keep her ground.
Originally scheduled to lift the launch complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7pm, launch times were pushed back several times due to insufficient weather conditions regarding wind and Stormcloud downrange.
Unfortunately, these conditions did not improve by the end of ULA’s two-hour launch window, and the launch was officially scrubbed at 8:41pm
It is unclear when the next launch attempt will take place, as ULA officials concluded that the launch will air by saying they will work with Space Force Partners in Florida to adjust the new date and time.
This was the first release and development of Amazon’s Kuiper Satellite Network. Like Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Network, deployed by SpaceX Falcon 9 Rockets, Amazon’s Project Kuiper is designed to provide high-speed internet almost anywhere on the planet. Its first-generation systems utilize over 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit.
This first launch is set to deploy 27 of these satellites, indicating that the heaviest payload ULA’s Atlas V Rocket has flew to date, requiring up to five additional solid rocket boosters connected to the rocket for the extra thrust required.
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“We have designed some of the most sophisticated communication satellites ever built. All launches are an opportunity to add capacity and coverage to our network,” Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Project Kuiper, said in a previous press release.
“We have done extensive testing on the ground to prepare for this first mission, but there are some things we can only learn while flying, this is the first time we have flew a final satellite design and the first time we have deployed many satellites at once.
Amazon has secured more than 80 launches for the full deployment of its constellations, and has already started shipping and processing satellites to launch sites for its second mission.
In total, over the next few years, Amazon will utilize nine launches of ULA’s Atlas V Rockets, 38 of ULA’s large, space-certified Vulcan Centaur rockets, and more than 30 other launches split into European launch providers. aBlue Origins of Rianespace, SpaceX, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
