Latest news with #Kuiper1
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SpaceX and Amazon Are Quietly Launching a New Space Race Right Now
If it seems like there's a lot of rocket launches lately, you're not wrong. While SpaceX just successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket containing Starlink satellites on April 27, the aerospace company also launched a nearly identical rocket on April 28. And at nearly the exact same time, Amazon's Project Kuiper is also launching an Atlas V rocket containing Kuiper 1. What do these dueling launches have in common? Well, like the Starlink network, Project Kuiper is also hoping to create communication coverage with a string of various satellites. Essentially, Project Kuiper represents the first round of Amazon satellites in direct competition with Starlink. Although not the same company as Blue Origin, Project Kuiper is owned by Jeff Bezos. The first launch for the project is scheduled to blast off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. You can watch the live stream on YouTube, which is embedded below. The latest SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the latest round of Starlink satellites on Monday, April 28, at 4:42 p.m. EDT. This launch took place from Vandenberg, California. This was the second SpaceX Starlink launch in two days. You can watch the in-progress live stream on X and embedded below. While it may sound a little melodramatic, the truth is, the competing technologies represent a battle for the future of orbital communication. Elon Musk has long promised that Starlink could provide low-cost internet to remote areas. So far, the results of this project have been somewhat mixed. Meanwhile, Project Kuiper is also poised to create its own satellite broadband network in low-Earth orbit. If Amazon is successful, this will put it in direct competition with Starlink. That said, in the U.S., there are two other satellite internet providers right now, including HughesNet and Viasat. If Amazon is successful, Project Kuiper will become the fourth in the U.S. market.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Amazon's First Operational Satellites
Atlas V precisely delivers the first grouping of operational broadband satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation. CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla., April 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Kuiper-1 mission for Amazon's Project Kuiper lifted off on April 28 at 7:01 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Kuiper 1 launch marks the beginning of full-scale deployment of the Kuiper constellation and a new chapter in the commercial launch industry as Amazon partners with ULA to deliver a majority of its advanced satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO). "This launch is an incredible milestone in Amazon's ambitious initiative to provide fast, reliable broadband service to unserved and underserved communities around the world," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. "We have worked diligently with the Project Kuiper team to place this important mission on orbit and are grateful for the opportunity to continue building upon this dynamic partnership." In addition to the successful launch of two Kuipersat prototypes in 2023 and another seven launches aboard Atlas V, Project Kuiper will leverage the next-generation Vulcan rocket for 38 high-cadence, rapid-fire launches, positioning ULA to deliver more than half of the constellation's more than 3,200 satellites through the world's largest commercial launch agreement. "This launch marks the first step towards the future of our partnership and increased launch cadence. We have been steadily modifying our launch facilities in Cape Canaveral to support the capacity for future Project Kuiper missions in a manner that will ultimately benefit both our commercial and government customers as we endeavor to save lives, explore the universe and connect the world," said Tory Bruno, ULA president and CEO. "The addition of a second launch processing capability allows for dual, simultaneous launch processing between both integration facilities seamlessly." For two decades, ULA has served as the custodian of America's national security space mission. Our rockets fly to the most challenging and exotic orbits the nation requires, while delivering the most accurate payload insertions in the world. ULA continues to carry this unique capability forward with the new Vulcan rocket, the latest and most advanced vehicle of this type. Utilizing an innovative, modular architectural approach, Vulcan has expanded into the commercial LEO marketplace, providing efficient access to all orbits into the foreseeable future. With even more innovative technology on our horizon, the sky is definitely not the limit. For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at and join the conversation on social media @ulalaunch. Mission webpage Mission Photo Album Link View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE United Launch Alliance (ULA) Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Atlas V rocket launch: When will it be visible in Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Stuart
3, 2, 1... It's launch day! On April 28, get ready to go outside to watch United Launch Alliance launch its Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral. The launch window will last two hours, beginning at 7 p.m. This will serve as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos kicking off Project Kuiper, a global constellation of over 3,200 broadband satellites that will compete for SpaceX's Starlink network customers, founded by Elon Musk. In October 2023, United Launch Alliance sent two Amazon Project Kuiper prototype satellites into space via an Atlas V rocket. Here's what to know about the launch tonight. ULA released a map showing the Atlas V launch of Kuiper 1 for Amazon and its intended flight path and launch visibility. Here is when Atlas V will be visible on the Treasure Coast after its launch. Launch + 30 seconds Launch + 90 seconds Launch + 150 seconds Launch + 210 seconds Launch + 270 seconds Launch + 330 seconds Launch + 390 seconds Visibility is dependent on weather conditions. If you can't get a good view from where you are, check the livestream of the launch that will begin about 20 minutes ahead of liftoff. The webcast will be available here. Martin and St. Lucie counties are expected to have a mostly clear evening with a slight chance of showers, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne. Indian River County is expected to have a slight chance of showers in the evening. Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (cost to enter) Wabasso Beach Park, 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso Ambersands Beach Park, 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking) South Beach Park, 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking) Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach Rocket launch in Florida?: Here's a list of waterfront restaurants on the Treasure Coast All things food: Roundups of the latest reviews, inspections, new and best restaurants Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, 905 Shorewinds Drive (cost to enter) Blind Creek Beachside North and South, 5460 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce Blue Heron Beach, 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce Dollman Park Beachside, 9200 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach Herman's Bay Beach, 7880 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach John Brooks Park Beachside, 3300 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce Middle Cove Beach, 4600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach Pepper Park Beachside, 3302 N. S.R. A1A, Fort Pierce, Walton Rocks Beach, 6700 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach (dog park) Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach State Road A1A causeway in Stuart House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's trending reporter. You can contact her at 772-409-1429, or follow her on Twitter @gonthescene. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Amazon rocket launch time, Florida visibility Port St. Lucie, Stuart
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ULA knocks out 1st launch of year with Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites
It had been nearly seven months since United Launch Alliance had its last rocket launch, but the company's first flight of 2025 came to fruition on Monday night. A ULA Atlas V on the Kuiper 1 mission carrying 27 of Amazon's satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation lifted off at 7:01 p.m. Eastern time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida. 'Booster was nominal. Centaur is clean. Straight down the pipe,' said ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno on a post on X. At the request of Amazon, ULA's coverage of the launch cut off just after the second stage separated. ULA updated its website, though, to say the upper stage had reached its planned insertion into low-Earth orbit. The launch was the first since ULA's Cert-2 mission of its new Vulcan rocket that flew on Oct. 4, 2024. ULA had been hoping to get a quick certification of the Vulcan from the Space Force that would open up the door for the company to begin using it to start knocking out a backlog of national security missions. The certification process, though, stretched for months, only coming on March 26. The delays forced ULA to pivot and line up the commercial mission for Amazon on one of its few remaining Atlas V rockets. Since ULA last launched, the Space Coast had seen SpaceX launch 59 times and Blue Origin once. ULA had only five launches in 2024 and three in 2023. CEO Tory Bruno in March had said he hoped ULA would fly 12 missions in 2025. The company was first formed as a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin in 2006. The most missions the company has flown in a single year has been 16 in 2009. Amazon had bought up nine of the final Atlas V rockets, and used one to send up a pair of test satellites from Project Kuiper in October 2023. It took more than a year and half for Amazon to nail down the design and get enough satellites ready for it to start sending them to space, though. After Kuiper 1, ULA has only 14 more of the workhorse rockets left including seven more set aside for for Amazon, one for communications company ViaSat and six for Boeing Starliner launches. Its retirement along with the already-retired Delta IV class of rockets comes as Vulcan looks to take over. ULA already has 70 launches lined up for the new rocket including 38 more for Amazon. Those Vulcan launches for Amazon, though, won't likely begin until all of its Atlas V missions are flown. Amazon is looking to compete with SpaceX's Starlink satellite service, and has a license from the Federal Communications Commission to operate 3,232 satellites. The FCC requirement, though, calls for half to be in place by July 2026, and all in place by 2028. So in addition to ULA, Amazon has lined up dozens more flights with Blue Origin, Arianespace and even some with SpaceX. SpaceX already has around 6,500 of its Starlink satellites in an operational orbit serving more than 5 million customers worldwide. Amazon's satellites are constructed in Washington, but the final processing is done in Florida. Amazon has a new facility at an 80-acre site at Kennedy Space Center's former Shuttle Landing Facility that is slated to begin to take over that final process, with the company aiming to get the supply chain of satellites sped up to try and meet the FCC deadlines. ULA meanwhile continues to build out a second rocket integration building at SLC-41 so that it can juggle the commercial launches needed for the likes of Amazon and other customers while catching up on its backlog of missions for the Department of Defense. Amazon expects to begin satellite internet service to customers before year's end. _____
