SpaceX rocket to launch Amazon Kuiper satellites from Florida on Saturday
SpaceX is set to launch the KF-02 mission on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, carrying Amazon's Kuiper internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off during a 27-minute window starting at 9:18 a.m. ET, with a planned landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.
The KF-02 mission is part of Amazon's effort to build a global broadband network, aiming to deliver fast, reliable internet worldwide.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - SpaceX is preparing to launch the KF-02 mission on Saturday morning, sending Amazon's Kuiper satellites into space from Florida.
The launch, which was originally set for Thursday, was pushed back to Friday to allow for more vehicle checks. On Friday, SpaceX postponed the launch again.
What they're saying
"Now targeting Saturday, August 9 for launch of the KF-02 mission from pad 40 in Florida," SpaceX wrote on X. "Teams are keeping an eye on weather, which is currently 35% favorable for liftoff."
When is the rocket launch?
What we know
A Falcon 9 rocket is set to blast off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying out the KF-02 mission.
SpaceX is now targeting a 27-minute launch window that opens at 9:18 a.m. ET on Aug. 9.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP
After stage separation, the Falcon 9 will land on A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
What is the KF-02 mission?
The backstory
The Kuiper Falcon 2 (KF-02) is Amazon's low-Earth orbit satellite broadband network. The goal is to provide fast, reliable internet to customers around the world.
By the numbers
This launch will mark the first flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission.
How to watch and stream the rocket launch live
FOX 35 News will stream the launch live in the video player at the top of this page. You can also stream the launch onFOX Local.
Many launches are also visible from various locations in Florida, especially along the coast, including public viewing areas near Cape Canaveral or Kennedy Space Center, depending on the mission.
SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS
The Source
This story was written based on information shared on SpaceX's website on August 8, 2025.
Solve the daily Crossword
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
17 minutes ago
- CBS News
4 space station fliers return to Earth with Pacific Ocean splashdown
Two NASA astronauts, a Japanese flier and a Russian cosmonaut plunged back to Earth on Saturday, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, west of San Diego, to wrap up a five-month mission to space. Strapped into SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance, commander Anne McClain, pilot Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and cosmonaut Kirill Peskov gently splashed down at 11:33 a.m. EDT, 17-and-a-half hours after undocking from the International Space Station. SpaceX support crews deployed near the landing site quickly converged on the capsule to rig the craft for a lift onto the deck of a recovery ship. After hatch opening, the station fliers were helped out of the spacecraft for initial medical checks while they began readjusting to the unfamiliar pull of gravity after 148 days in space. All four appeared healthy and in good spirits. A helicopter was standing by to fly all four back to shore, where a NASA plane was waiting to fly them back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Crew 10 fliers undocked from the station's forward port at 6:15 p.m. Friday, two days later than originally planned due to high winds off the southern California coast. After moving a safe distance away from the lab complex, McClain and company enjoyed a few final hours in space before their ship was lined up for a southwest-to-northeast trajectory toward San Diego. At 10:39 a.m., the Crew Dragon's forward Draco thrusters ignited and fired for more than 17 minutes to slow the craft by about 257 mph, just enough to drop the orbit into the discernible atmosphere about 43 minutes later. Still moving at some 17,000 mph — nearly 84 football fields per second — the Crew Dragon slammed into the discernible atmosphere and was quickly engulfed in a fireball of atmospheric friction as it sharply decelerated to more terrestrial velocities. Nearing the ocean, the spacecraft's main parachutes unfurled and inflated, lowering Endeavour to a gentle splashdown. Left behind in orbit were the crew's replacements, Crew 11 commander Zena Cardman, co-pilot Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Also on board: Soyuz MS-27/73S commander Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky and NASA astronaut Jonny Kim. McClain and her crewmates spent four days showing the new crew the ins and outs of space station operation before bidding them farewell and undocking on Friday. Crew 10 was the first NASA-sponsored crew to land in the Pacific Ocean. All previous NASA Crew Dragon flights ended with splashdowns off the Florida coast. But SpaceX recently decided to change landing locales to make sure any debris from the Crew Dragon's no-longer-needed trunk section, discarded shortly before re-entry, splashes harmlessly into the Pacific, well away from any populated areas. Two commercial Crew Dragon flights landed in the Pacific earlier this year to pave the way for Crew 10.
25 minutes ago
Astronauts return to Earth with SpaceX after 5 months at the International Space Station
Four astronauts returned to Earth on Saturday after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing's Starliner. Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Pacific off the Southern California coast a day after departing the orbiting lab. 'Welcome home,' SpaceX Mission Control radioed. Splashing down were NASA's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russia's Kirill Peskov. They launched in March as replacements for the two NASA astronauts assigned to Starliner's botched demo. Starliner malfunctions kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams at the space station for more than nine months instead of a week. NASA ordered Boeing's new crew capsule to return empty and switched the pair to SpaceX. They left soon after McClain and her crew arrived to take their places. Wilmore has since retired from NASA. Before leaving the space station on Friday, McClain made note of 'some tumultuous times on Earth' with people struggling. 'We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together,' she said. McClain looked forward to 'doing nothing for a couple of days' once back home in Houston. High on her crewmates' wish list: hot showers and juicy burgers. It was SpaceX's third Pacific splashdown with people on board, but the first for a NASA crew in 50 years. Elon Musk's company switched capsule returns from Florida to California's coast earlier this year to reduce the risk of debris falling on populated areas. Back-to-back private crews were the first to experience Pacific homecomings. The last time NASA astronauts returned to the Pacific from space was during the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, a détente meet-up of Americans and Soviets in orbit. ___
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Astronauts return to Earth with SpaceX after five months at ISS
Four astronauts returned to Earth after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing's Starliner. Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Pacific off the Southern California coast a day after departing the orbiting lab. 'Welcome home,' SpaceX Mission Control radioed. Splashing down were Nasa's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russia's Kirill Peskov. They launched in March as replacements for the two Nasa astronauts assigned to Starliner's botched demo. Starliner malfunctions kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams at the space station for more than nine months instead of a week. Nasa ordered Boeing's new crew capsule to return empty and switched the pair to SpaceX. They left soon after Ms McClain and her crew arrived to take their places. Mr Wilmore has since retired from Nasa. Before leaving the space station on Friday, Ms McClain made note of 'some tumultuous times on Earth' with people struggling. 'We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together,' she said. Ms McClain looked forward to 'doing nothing for a couple of days' once back home in Houston, US. High on her crewmates' wish list were hot showers and juicy burgers. It was SpaceX's third Pacific splashdown with people on board, but the first for a Nasa crew in 50 years. Elon Musk's company switched capsule returns from Florida to California's coast earlier this year to reduce the risk of debris falling on populated areas. Back-to-back private crews were the first to experience Pacific homecomings. The last time Nasa astronauts returned to the Pacific from space was during the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, a detente meet-up of Americans and Soviets in orbit.
