Amazon flips from Vulcan to Atlas V to launch prototype satellites sooner
Amazon is so eager to get its first test satellites for its Project Kuiper internet constellation up into space that it has decided to switch rides again.
The two satellites are now scheduled to lift off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as early as Sept. 26 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41, according to officials with both ULA and Amazon.
The prototype satellites had been looking for a ride to space on ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket, which had been aiming for a launch this past May, but the rocket faced delays that won’t see it fly until at least late 2023.
The switch to an Atlas V from Vulcan is actually the second time the satellites switched rockets, as originally Amazon looked to send them up before the end of 2022 on startup rocket company ABL Space Systems’ RS 1 rocket from Alaska. But that company’s rockets also have seen delays.
“Our prototype mission will help us test how the different pieces of our satellite network work together, adding real-world data from space to results from our extensive lab testing, fieldwork, and simulation,” Amazon wrote about its plans to launch with ULA. “We’ll use findings from the mission to help finalize design, deployment, and operational plans for our commercial satellite system, which will provide reliable, affordable broadband to customers around the world.”