Project Kuiper, a mission by Amazon, is set to send its first full batch of satellites to space, marking an important step in its mission to deliver fast, reliable internet to customers and communities around the world. The mission, named "KA-01" for Kuiper Atlas 1, will launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, and deploy 27 satellites at an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometers) above Earth (into Low-Earth Orbit). Launch is currently scheduled for no earlier than 12 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 9.

Beginning a full-scale deployment  

Project Kuiper will deliver high-speed, low-latency internet to virtually any location on the planet, and services are expected to begin later this year. The first-generation satellite system will include more than 3,200 advanced low Earth orbit satellites, and more than 80 launches have been secured to deploy that initial constellation, with each one adding dozens of satellites to the network. The KA-01 mission is just the first step in that process.

The team has designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and every launch is an opportunity to add more capacity and coverage to the network. Extensive testing on the ground has been done to prepare for this first mission, but there are some things that can only be learned in flight. This mission will be the first time the final satellite design is flown and the first time so many satellites are deployed at once. No matter how the mission unfolds, this is just the start of the journey, and all the pieces are in place to learn and adapt as preparations continue for launch after launch over the coming years.

The satellites flying on KA-01 are a significant upgrade from the two prototype satellites successfully tested during the Protoflight mission in October 2023. Performance has been improved on every system and sub-system on board, including phased array antennas, processors, solar arrays, propulsion systems, and optical inter-satellite links. In addition, the satellites are coated in a dielectric mirror film unique to Kuiper that scatters reflected sunlight to help make them less visible to ground-based astronomers.

Project Kuiper’s satellite payload will be the heaviest payload ULA’s Atlas V rocket has ever flown. To accommodate it, ULA will be flying Atlas V in its most powerful configuration. The rocket will include five solid rocket boosters in addition to its main booster, and a payload fairing (which contains the satellites) that is 77 feet (23.5 meters) high and 16.4 feet (5 meters) wide.

Over the next few years, Kuiper and ULA teams will conduct seven more Atlas V launches and 38 launches on ULA’s larger Vulcan Centaur rocket. An additional 30-plus launches are planned across other launch providers: Arianespace, Blue Origin, and SpaceX.

Tracking mission progress

Launch is only the first step in the months-long KA-01 mission. ULA will manage the launch and deployment sequence from their Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Once all of the satellites have separated from the rocket, the Kuiper team will take over constellation management from its 24/7 mission operations center in Redmond, Washington.

The initial objective for the KA-01 mission is to deploy all of the satellites safely in orbit, which means they can independently maneuver and communicate with the team on the ground. To do so, once the satellites have successfully separated from the rocket, they will begin a series of mostly automated steps to activate onboard systems and use their electric propulsion systems to gradually ascend to their assigned orbit of 392 miles (630 kilometers). The satellites will travel at a speed of more than 17,000 miles per hour (27,359 kilometers per hour) on orbit and circle the planet approximately every 90 minutes.

While the satellites complete the orbit-raising process, focus will shift to the ultimate mission objective: providing end-to-end network connectivity. This involves sending data from the internet, through ground infrastructure, up to the satellites, and down to customer terminal antennas, and then repeating the journey in the other direction.

Next steps for Project Kuiper  

Following KA-01, production, processing, and deployment rates will continue to increase to prepare for service delivery to customers. Satellites for the next mission, KA-02, have already been shipped and processed. The KA-02 mission will also use a ULA Atlas V rocket and launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Click here to learn more about ULA's Launch Vehicle Platforms