Amazon delays launch of 27 satellites in its pursuit of creating internet service
Jun 17, 2025, 12:00 PM | Updated: 12:19 pm
ULA is scheduled to launch the second batch of internet satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites on June 16. (Photo courtesy of United Launch Alliance)
(Photo courtesy of United Launch Alliance)
United Launch Alliance (ULA) was set to launch Amazon’s second group of satellites for its Kuiper internet satellite constellation Monday before a last-minute cancellation.
“The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 carrying Amazon’s second Project Kuiper mission, Kuiper 2, is delayed due to an engineering observation of an elevated purge temperature within the booster engine,” ULA stated at 9:51 a.m., just 40 minutes before the launch was set to happen. “The team will evaluate the hardware, and we will release a new launch date when available. ”
The 27 satellites that were expected to launch were all in the name of Project Kuiper—Amazon’s initiative to provide fast, reliable broadband to customers around the world.
The term “satellite constellation” refers to a group of similar satellites working together with tightly coordinated movements to achieve a common purpose.
This was the second set of satellites launched into space, following the first set that launched in April. Amazon’s overarching goal is to have more than 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit, requiring 83 separate launches.
Project Kuiper
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“Billions of people around the world don’t have reliable access to broadband,” Amazon wrote in a prepared statement. “Poor connectivity means limited access to modern communications, education, health services, and other important resources, which can create an economic disadvantage for unserved and underserved communities.”
Amazon cited that the idea came from simply traveling an hour away from Seattle, where Amazon’s headquarters are based, and losing connection in more rural areas. Project Kuiper is specifically headquartered in Redmond.
“Our standard customer terminal delivers downlink speeds up to 400 megabits per second (Mbps),” Amazon stated regarding its internet service’s speed. “Our largest model, which is intended for enterprise, government, and telecommunications applications, delivers up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), and our ultra-compact model delivers up to 100 Mbps.”
Project Kuiper has been in development since 2018.
A new launch date has yet to be announced, as of this reporting.
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