Decatur ULA rocket launches Amazon internet satellites into space
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Decatur's United Launch Alliance rocket helped Amazon satellites be launched into orbit Monday.
The inaugural launch of Amazon's Project Kuiper used a ULA Atlas V rocket to deliver the first satellites of the constellation. Project Kuiper is Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite broadband network.
ULA said the goal of the satellites is to provide fast, reliable internet to customers around the world, including those in unserved and underserved communities, using a constellation of more than 3,200 LEO satellites.
The rocket launched Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
'This launch begins a new chapter in the commercial launch industry as Amazon partners with ULA to deliver a majority of its satellites into orbit. The Kuiper 1 mission is the first of 46 launches by ULA for the Kuiper constellation using eight Atlas V and 38 Vulcan rockets,' ULA said.
ULA in Decatur began preparations for the Kuiper 1 launch on Feb. 24 when the company stood up the Atlas V first stage aboard the mobile launch platform. In the days following, five side-mounted solid rocket boosters were fixed to the rocket to provide 'maximum launch performance.'
The company said the Centaur upper stage was lifted into the Vertical Integration Facility on March 14.
Kuiper 1 marks the 250th Centaur launch on an Atlas rocket and the 275th flight overall for the upper stage, according to ULA.
While the rocket was being stacked in the VIF, Amazon technicians worked to install the satellites going into orbit onto a special dispenser system inside Project Kuiper's satellite processing facility at the Kennedy Space Center.
On March 31, ULA transported Kuiper 1 from the satellite processing facility to the VIF. ULA said it became one of the heaviest payloads ever lifted on an Atlas rocket.
Because of this, ULA had to make modifications and design changes to accommodate the mass and size of the payload. This included enhancements to the ground handling equipment and the hardware used to hoist the payload onto the Atlas V for connection.
The rocket itself stood at 205 feet tall. The full put-together Atlas V rocket features a longer length payload fairing than standard to carry as many satellites as possible. ULA said this launch was only the ninth time in 102 launches of Atlas V to use the larger fairing.
'The Atlas V 551, weighing 1.3 million pounds (589,000 kg) once fueled for launch, generates a combined thrust of 2.7 million pounds (12 megaNewtons) from its main engine and five SRBs. The rocket will embark on a northeasterly trajectory and onboard guidance will target a near-circular LEO of approximately 280 miles (450 km) and 51.9 degrees inclination.'
ULA
Below is a photo gallery of the rocket and the liftoff, provided by ULA.
The original launch window was scheduled for April 9, but because of weather conditions, the launch was then delayed until April 28. You can learn more about the ULA partnership with Amazon here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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