The launch of Amazon’s first internet satellites, aimed at challenging Elon Musk’s Starlink network, was postponed due to bad weather, launch service provider United Launch Alliance (ULA) said late on Wednesday.
“A new launch date will be announced when approved,” ULA said in a post on social media platform X.
The satellites are part of Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which aims to provide internet coverage via a constellation of around 3,200 satellites in the coming years.
The planned launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida was set to carry 27 satellites into space aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket.
Amazon has already secured rocket capacity for dozens of future launches to meet regulatory deadlines. Under its operating license, the company must deploy at least 1,600 Kuiper satellites by mid-2026.
Rival company SpaceX, founded by Tesla boss Elon Musk, is already a major player in satellite internet with its Starlink network.
Satellite internet is attracting interest not only from consumers and the military, but also from airlines and telecom companies looking for affordable connectivity in remote or sparsely populated areas without having to invest in costly ground-based infrastructure.
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