logo
SpaceX launch adds dozens of satellites to Amazon's broadband network

SpaceX launch adds dozens of satellites to Amazon's broadband network

UPI16-07-2025
July 16 (UPI) -- Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband network got a literal boost from SpaceX Wednesday as a Falcon 9 rocket put several Kuiper satellites into orbit.
The mission, titled KF-01, involved a Falcon 9 that launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday at 2:30 a.m. EDT, and carried 24 Kuiper craft into low Earth orbit at an altitude of 289 miles.
"Congrats to the amazing [Project Kuiper] team on another successful launch and thank you to [SpaceX] for the ride to space," posted Amazon's devices chief Panos Panay to X Wednesday. "Pumped to have another batch of Kuiper satellites heading into orbit!"
The Falcon 9's first stage then returned to Earth about nine minutes later, landing on SpaceX's "A Shortfall of Gravitas" droneship located in the Atlantic Ocean.
Marking the third launch of Kuiper satellites, this mission expanded Amazon's broadband network to a current count of 78 but is slated to eventually be comprised of over 3,200 satellites, which will require more than 80 launches before reaching that goal.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Could this California company challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9? What to know about Rocket Lab
Could this California company challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9? What to know about Rocket Lab

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Could this California company challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9? What to know about Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab has increasingly been in the news over mounting anticipation for the first launch of its upcoming Neutron rocket. Rocket Lab, a spaceflight company based in California, has spent years building up a reputation as a reliable launch service provider for small satellites. Now, though, the venture has its sights set on bigger targets: Procuring some of those lucrative government and commercial contracts that have long been the domain of Elon Musk's Texas-based SpaceX. Maybe you've heard about Rocket Lab's diminutive Electron launch vehicle, which the company bills as the second-most active rocket in the U.S. Or maybe you've heard about its next-generation Neutron spacecraft, which could soon be making its inaugural flight from Virginia. Whichever may be the case, here's everything to know for those interested in Rocket Lab and its future plans for spaceflight. What is Rocket Lab? Rocket Lab is a launch service provider and spaceflight company founded in 2006 and based in Long Beach, California. The company operates out of three launch pads at two launch sites, including one in New Zealand and two in Virginia at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. Rocket Lab Neutron launch date Rocket Lab has increasingly been in the news over mounting anticipation for the first launch of its upcoming Neutron rocket. The satellite launch vehicle is central to Rocket Lab's plans to shift from small satellite deployments to missions with heavier payloads. But when exactly the Neutron rocket could make its orbital debut has yet to be determined. Rocket Lab continues to work through a checklist of requirements before Neutron can get off the ground for its maiden flight. That includes integrating – or stacking – the rocket stages and getting its commercial launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the company's first-quarter earnings presentation provided to the USA TODAY Network. The good news? Construction on infrastructure at the launch pad is on schedule, according to the report. Earlier in July, Rocket Lab also announced that the company had awarded a contract to shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards to support the build of a 400-foot ocean landing platform named "Return On Investment." But the challenge for Rocket Lab will be in transporting the components of the Neutron to the facility, according to the website TechCrunch. The vehicle must be shipped in segments to Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 3 in Virginia, where it will be fully mated as a rocket. Could Neutron challenge SpaceX, Falcon 9? Many space industry analysts have said that Neutron could emerge as a credible challenger to SpaceX's Falcon 9 in the medium-lift launch market. Rocket Lab is developing the Neutron rocket – which already has contracts with the Department of Defense – for commercial, civil and military space operations. That includes satellite constellation deployments, cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station and interplanetary missions. The arena is one that SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk in 2002, has dominated for years with its Falcon 9 rocket – one of the most active rockets in the world. The Falcon 9 is routinely the rocket of choice to launch NASA astronaut missions to the International Space Station and is the exclusive launch provider for Musk's Starlink satellite deliveries. At 141-feet-tall, Neutron is smaller in stature than SpaceX's two-stage, 230-foot Falcon 9. But like the Falcon 9, Neutron is designed to be reusable so that it can launch more frequently. Its design features an integrated system that brings Neutron's first stage and payload fairings back to Earth as a single stage. Capable of delivering about a 14-ton (more than 28,600 pounds) payload to low-Earth before landing, Neutron is powered by Rocket Lab's newly developed Archimedes engine. Rocket Lab's emergence also comes at a time of mounting public discord between Musk and President Donald Trump. What is Rocket Lab's Electron rocket? Rocket Lab has already spent years reliably launching its smaller Electron rocket to deliver small satellites and other payloads to orbit for civil and commercial contractors. At 59 feet tall, Electron is capable of carrying just 661 pounds of cargo to space, according to Rocket Lab. A version of the rocket is also tailored for Rocket Lab's hypersonic HASTE launches. One of the two launch complexes where Electron can launch is right next door to the Neutron's new launch complex. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, the Electron has delivered more than 200 satellites to orbit and become one of the most frequently launched U.S. rockets, second only to the Falcon 9, according to Rocket Lab. In June alone, the Electron launched four times on both government and commercial missions, according to Rocket Lab. The most recent mission came June 28 when the Electron launched a single satellite to space for "a confidential commercial customer," Rocket Lab announced in a press release. The mission was the second of two launches from the same launch site in less than 48 hours, a new launch record for the company. Is Rocket Lab a good stock to buy? Whether to invest Unlike SpaceX, Rocket Lab is publicly traded. While Rocket Lab's stock is up 800% over the past year, according to Forbes, the company is not yet profitable. "A lot hinges on Rocket Lab's ability to evolve its revenue model and reach sustained profitability," Sasirekha Subramanian, an equity research content expert, wrote for Forbes. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@

Look: 'Solar Opposites' Season 6 gets teaser, Oct. 13 release date
Look: 'Solar Opposites' Season 6 gets teaser, Oct. 13 release date

UPI

time3 hours ago

  • UPI

Look: 'Solar Opposites' Season 6 gets teaser, Oct. 13 release date

July 25 (UPI) -- Hulu released a teaser trailer for the upcoming sixth and final season of animated comedy Solar Opposites, which will drop all 10 episodes Oct. 13. The teaser, released Friday, finds the titular aliens struggling to live their lives on a budget after the destruction of their alien diamond making machine. "When their consumerist habits and expensive hobbies are gone, only their true selves will remain... but will they like who they find?" the official synopsis reads. All 10 episodes of the final season will be available Oct. 13 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. The new season features returning voice cast members Dan Stevens, Thomas Middleditch, Mary Mack and Sean Giambrone, who will be joined by guest stars including Tiffany Haddish, Kieran Culkin, Christina Hendricks, Ken Marino, Alfred Molina, Natalie Morales, Jerry O'Connell and Beck Bennett. The series is executive produced by Mike McMahan, Josh Bycel and Sydney Ryan.

A SpaceX rocket may be visible in Arizona this weekend: Where, when to see Falcon 9
A SpaceX rocket may be visible in Arizona this weekend: Where, when to see Falcon 9

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

A SpaceX rocket may be visible in Arizona this weekend: Where, when to see Falcon 9

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Arizonans could catch the first Starlink satellite launch in more than a week from neighboring California if conditions are ideal. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the internet-beaming satellites could get off the ground from the Vandenberg Space Force Base before the end of the weekend, if all goes to plan. The impending rocket launch would be the latest Starlink delivery from Southern California since July 18 and the state's second spaceflight within a week after NASA sent two science satellites into orbit for its TRACERS mission July 23. Billionaire Elon Musk's rocket company has of late bolstered its orbital Starlink deployments from Vandenberg – providing entertainment to space enthusiasts and angering some Santa Barbara County residents opposed to the increased launches. As you make your rocket viewing plans, though, an important disclaimer to keep in mind is this: Launches can be – and often are – scrubbed or delayed due to any number of factors, including poor weather conditions or unexpected issues with spacecraft. Check back with for any updates on the rocket launch. In the meantime, here's what to know about the launch from Southern California, as well as when and where to potentially spot the rocket in neighboring Arizona: California rocket launches: SpaceX rocket launches have increased in California, and not all residents are happy What time is the SpaceX rocket launch from California? A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory indicates the launch is being targeted for Sunday, July 27, with backup opportunities available the following day, if needed. However, multiple websites dedicated to tracking rocket launches instead suggest the launch window could open as early as 8:55 p.m. PT Saturday, July 26. Neither the Vandenberg Space Force Base, nor SpaceX, have yet officially confirmed the launch. Where is the next rocket launch from California? The launch will take place from Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Most launches from Vandenberg fly at a south or southeast trajectory. What is the next mission launching from Vandenberg? The spaceflight will make use of the company's famous two-stage 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket, one of the world's most active, to deliver Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. The altitude is low enough to allow for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. How to watch SpaceX Starlink launch livestream SpaceX will provide a webcast of the Starlink launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X. California rocket launch could be visible in Arizona: Where to watch Because of Arizona's proximity to the launch site, there's a good chance people there can see the spacecraft streak across the sky, especially at night or very early morning. Here's a list of some possible viewing locations compiled by The Arizona Republic, a USA TODAY Network publication. Dobbins Lookout, South Mountain, 10919 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, Arizona Papago Park, 625 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona Fountain Hills, a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, which in 2018 was designated a Dark Sky Community with little light pollution Superstition Mountains, located 40 miles from metro Phoenix in Arizona Cave Creek, a town in Maricopa County about 30 miles north of Fountain Hills, Arizona Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 3400 Sky Harbor Blvd., Arizona, which has a parking garage that is popular for plane-watching Black Canyon City, an unincorporated community in Yavapai County, Arizona Any mountain park in Arizona , 14805 W. Vineyard Ave., Goodyear, Arizona , 2600 N. Watson Road, Buckeye, Arizona , 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell, Arizona , 6533 W. Phillips Road, Queen Creek, Arizona Monument Hill, a 150-foot slope on 115th Avenue, in Arizona What is SpaceX? Elon Musk, the world's richest man, founded SpaceX in 2002. The commercial spaceflight company is headquartered at Starbase in South Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border. The site, which is where SpaceX has been conducting routine flight tests of its 400-foot megarocket known as Starship, was recently voted by residents to become its own city. SpaceX conducts many of its own rocket launches, most using the Falcon 9 rocket, from both California and Florida. That includes a regular cadence of deliveries of Starlink internet satellites into orbit, and occasional privately-funded commercial crewed missions on the Dragon. The most recent of SpaceX's private human spaceflights, a mission known as Fram2, took place in April. SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024. SpaceX additionally benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads. What is Starlink? Owned by Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 7,000 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from both Florida and California. While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. That allows Starlink's satellites to have lower latency and data time between user and the satellite, improving performance of things like streaming, online gaming and video calls. Residential plans for Starlink services start at $80 per month. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: SpaceX rocket launch may be visible in Arizona: Where to see Falcon 9 Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store