Tech Desk 
Apr 03, 2025
In a bid to compete with satellite internet giants like Elon Musk's Starlink, Amazon on Wednesday announced to launch its first 27 satellites for its Project Kuiper internet network next week.
Kicked off with a much-awaited step towards the deployment of a vast satellite constellation, the "Kuiper Atlas 1" mission is scheduled for April 9 at noon EDT (1600 GMT), launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, according to Reuters.
An Atlas 5 rocket, operated by the United Launch Alliance (ULA)—a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin—will carry the satellites into space under a multi-launch deal signed in 2022.
The mission is a testament of Amazon’s commitment to deploy Kuiper in a full-scale manner. As part of the mission, a low-Earth orbit network is expected to include over 3,000 satellites to provide global high-speed internet.
“We’ve done extensive ground testing, but flight is the real test,” said Rajeev Badyal, Amazon’s Kuiper vice president. “No matter how the mission unfolds, this is just the beginning.”
Amazon initially launched Project Kuiper in 2019, investing $10 billion into its development.
SpaceX has deployed around 8,000 Starlink satellites, serving over five million users in 125 countries, significantly disrupting the satellite communications market and attracting military and intelligence agencies.
