Amazon’s Project Kuiper Satellite Launch: What to Know
Project Kuiper is the company’s plan to build a large low Earth orbit constellation to bring broadband internet to underserved U.S. homes and businesses. The program is authorized for 3,236 satellites across five deployment phases, and service will begin after the first 578 craft are in orbit and checked out.
Deployments began in April 2025 and progressed through multiple missions from Cape Canaveral, adding production spacecraft steadily. By mid-October 2025, 153 production satellites were on orbit, showing the mission is moving from testing to scale.
Why it matters: this effort pairs the satellite network with AWS Ground Station for low-latency backhaul, and it uses multiple launch providers to speed delivery and reduce risk. The article that follows covers recent Cape Canaveral timing, a launch timeline, how the constellation and user terminals work, and what to watch next.
Latest launch at Cape Canaveral: timing, rocket, and what reached orbit
KF-03 rose into the night from Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:58 p.m. EDT, carrying a 24-unit batch to low Earth orbit. The ascent came after several weather slips and a favorable update from the 45th Weather Squadron.
Liftoff details: 9:58 p.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9
The spacex falcon rocket lifted off precisely at 9:58 p.m. Eastern. Falcon 9 booster B1091, on its second flight, returned to the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” after stage separation.
Launch site and weather: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Teams used the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station range and the launch complex infrastructure to support the night flight. Forecasts called the weather highly favorable near the pad, with moderate recovery risk offshore.
Deployment and totals: 24 new craft, bringing totals to 153 in orbit
Separation placed the units into an initial 465 km orbit. Mission control will raise them to 630 km for operations. The deployment window opened about 56 minutes after liftoff and finished roughly eight minutes later, bringing the production fleet to 153 in orbit.
| Item | Detail | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Liftoff date & time | 9:58 p.m. EDT | Nighttime ascent from the Cape Canaveral range |
| Launch complex / site | Space Launch Complex 40, Canaveral Space Force Station | Range support and pad infrastructure |
| Vehicle / booster | SpaceX Falcon 9; booster B1091 (2nd flight) | Booster landed on droneship; efficient reuse |
| Payload & orbit | 24 production craft; initial 465 km, to be raised to 630 km | Deployment sequence ~56–64 minutes after liftoff |
amazon project kuiper satellite launch timeline and mission updates
Cape Canaveral missions have set a steady rhythm, adding batches on a near-monthly schedule. This timeline shows dates, vehicles, pads, and batch sizes so readers can follow the cadence and scope of deployments.
From KA-01 to KF-03 — key dates and vehicles
- KA-01 — Apr. 28, 2025, 7:01 p.m. EDT, Atlas V 551 from SLC-41, 27 satellites.
- KA-02 — Jun. 23, 2025, 6:54 a.m. EDT, Atlas V 551 from SLC-41, 27 satellites.
- KF-01 — Jul. 16, 2025, 2:30 a.m. EDT, Falcon 9 from SLC-40, 24 satellites.
- KF-02 — Aug. 11, 2025, 8:35 a.m. EDT, Falcon 9 from SLC-40, 24 satellites.
- KA-03 — Sep. 25, 2025, 8:09 a.m. EDT, Atlas V 551 from SLC-41, 27 satellites.
- KF-03 — Oct. 13/14, 2025, 9:58 p.m. EDT, Falcon 9 from SLC-40, 24 satellites.
What’s scheduled next
Next up is KV-01 on Vulcan Centaur in Q4 2025, a larger flight planned to carry roughly 45 satellites. That flight opens capacity for many more sorties and helps the team meet early service thresholds.
Additional Atlas V missions remain on the manifest alongside contracted Ariane 6 and New Glenn flights. This multi-provider approach helps the company keep to a tight time table and reduce single-vendor risk.
How Project Kuiper will deliver broadband: constellation, technology, and launch partners
Delivering broadband at scale depends on orbital design, ground gear, and multiple launch providers working in sync.
Satellite constellation in LEO and regulatory milestones
The plan calls for a 3,236-unit constellation spread across shells near 630 km, 610 km, and 590 km. Phase 1 centers on a 630 km shell at 51.9° inclination.
Service begins after the first 578 craft are on orbit and checked out. FCC milestones require half the fleet by July 30, 2026 and full deployment by July 30, 2029.
User terminals and ground segment
Customer equipment uses Ka-band phased arrays. Models range from a compact ~100 Mbps unit to a standard ~400 Mbps terminal under $400 and a high-bandwidth 1 Gbps option.
Spacecraft use Hall-effect thrusters and optical inter-satellite links (OISL) designed for 100 Gbps, forming a mesh for low-latency routing. AWS Ground Station and a processing hub at Kennedy Space Center handle backhaul and integration.
Launch ecosystem
The rollout relies on a mixed vendor roster: United Launch Alliance (Atlas V, Vulcan), SpaceX Falcon 9, and Blue Origin New Glenn, operating from Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center. Ariane 6 adds 18 contracted missions for extra capacity.
| Element | Key detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Constellation size | 3,236 satellites | Global coverage and redundancy |
| Phase 1 altitude | 630 km at 51.9° | Optimizes latency and coverage |
| Terminal options | 100 Mbps / 400 Mbps / 1 Gbps | Serves homes, mobility, and heavy users |
| Launch providers | ULA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Ariane 6 | Scheduling flexibility and capacity |
What this means for internet access and what to watch next
The growing on-orbit roster means more broadband options where fiber and cable are scarce. As of mid-October 2025, 153 production satellites sit in low Earth orbit and will join a larger constellation that aims to serve homes and businesses.
Readers should watch KV-01 on Vulcan Centaur and upcoming Atlas rocket and Falcon-class flights from the Cape Canaveral Space range. Date and time notices from Canaveral Space Force Station and the assigned launch complex reveal how quickly capacity is added.
Key indicators include the number of project kuiper satellites commissioned, the rate of optical link activations, and terminal rollout. After events such as the 9:58 p.m. KF-03 deployment, steady commissioning turns new hardware into usable internet satellites.
Why it matters: when Blue Origin’s New Glenn and other heavy-lift rockets increase batch size, the cadence of launches will speed coverage growth and widen choices for rural communities.
