ULA launch delayed for Amazon's 2nd batch of 27 ‘Project Kuiper' satellites
June 16 (UPI) -- The United Launch Alliance liftoff planned for Monday with dozens of new satellites to join Amazon's "Project Kuiper" mission was delayed due to engineering issues.
The project is part of Amazon's effort to expand global Internet access.
Amazon's second attempted Kuiper 2 launch of 27 additional satellites into low-Earth orbit on top ULA's 205-foot tall Atlas V rocket was delayed shortly before 1 p.m. EDT due to an "engineering observation of an elevated purge temperature within the booster engine," according to ULA officials.
It originally was scheduled to launch during a 30-minute time window starting at 1:25 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Space Launch Complex 41. The mission is an effort to boost Amazon's growing satellite constellation to a total of 54 launched out of the mandated 1,600 in about a year's time as part of a federal agreement.
"The team will evaluate the hardware, and we will release a new launch date when available," the Colorado-headquartered ULA added.
A live-stream broadcast started roughly 20 minutes or so on multiple online platforms prior to the temporarily delayed liftoff with initial weather forecasts predicting a 75% chance for favorable conditions.
The ULA rocket designated AV-105 would have been the 103rd launch of its Atlas 5 rocket.
ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno wrote during Monday's countdown in a Bluesky post that United Launch Alliance team members at the the time were "working a temperature measurement (that was) warmer than previous" Atlas 5 rocket launches.
It was set to be ULA's second sendoff on Atlas 5 for Amazon's Project Kuiper after ULA successfully sent a first batch of 27 satellites in early April. That first mission's own initial liftoff was likewise scrubbed, but due to weather.
Amazon officials say it Projectt Kuiper will aim to deliver "fast, reliable Internet to customers and communities around the world" with a goal to launch and install more than 3,200 satellites in space by the end of next year, which was a required timeframe part of its agreement with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, or FCC.
Meanwhile, a new launch date has yet to be announced.
Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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