Atlas V rocket launch first group of Amazon Internet satellites into orbit

By Alimat Aliyeva

The American Atlas V rocket has successfully launched the first operational group of Amazon’s internet satellites into orbit, Azernews reports.

The launch was announced by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin that developed the carrier rocket.

The liftoff occurred from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday at 7:01 p.m. Eastern Time (03:01 Tuesday Baku time). About 18 minutes after liftoff, the satellites separated from the rocket’s second stage and entered their designated orbits.

As part of Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a batch of 27 operational satellites was deployed into low-Earth orbit at altitudes of 590 km, 610 km, and 630 km. These follow the two test satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, which were launched in 2023.

By 2027–2028, Amazon plans to deploy a full constellation of 3,236 satellites to deliver high-speed broadband internet across the globe, particularly in remote and underserved regions.

Project Kuiper is Amazon’s direct response to SpaceX’s Starlink. While both aim to provide global satellite internet coverage, Amazon's system will leverage its existing cloud infrastructure (AWS) to offer integrated services, potentially creating a powerful ecosystem for both consumers and enterprises.