Latest news with #ULA
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Launch delayed for Decatur-made rocket meant to send Amazon satellites into space
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Decatur's United Launch Alliance rocket, meant to help Amazon satellites reach Earth's orbit, has been delayed. ULA was originally meant to send Amazon satellites to space in the Kuiper 2 mission on June 16. The launch was set to be from Cape Canaveral, Florida. CLICK HERE for News 19's Interactive Radar 🌩️🌦️☔ However, play-by-play status reports from Launch Control announced that the launch of the Atlas V 551 was delayed 'due to an engineering observation of an elevated purge temperature within the booster engine.' The rocket used in this mission was manufactured here in North Alabama. 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.' Kuiper 1 launched into space on April 28. The rocket itself stands 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 first launch was only the ninth time in 102 launches of Atlas V to use the larger fairing. Decatur ULA rocket launches Amazon internet satellites into space You can view photos of the rocket provided by ULA below. '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. A new launch date is not available as of June 18. 'The team will evaluate the hardware, and we will release a new launch date when available,' Launch Control wrote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Digital Trends
4 days ago
- Business
- Digital Trends
Amazon's Kuiper satellite launch called off 30 minutes before liftoff
Amazon is keen to get its second batch of internet satellites into orbit, but it won't be happening just yet. The launch of 27 Project Kuiper satellites was set to take place early Monday afternoon ET at Cape Canaveral in Florida, but just 30 minutes from liftoff, rocket operator United Launch Alliance (ULA) said it was standing down for the day 'due to an engineering observation of an elevated purge temperature within the booster engine' on its Atlas V vehicle. In simple terms, this means part of the booster became too hot and needs to be investigated. Recommended Videos ULA said it will release a new launch date just as soon as one is decided. The rocket had been due to launch last Friday, but poor weather conditions prompted mission planners to shift the date to Monday. Similar to SpaceX's established Starlink service, Amazon's Project Kuiper aims to provide fast, affordable broadband internet to customers globally. It's particularly keen to serve locations where fiber, cable, or cellular infrastructure is unavailable or unreliable, such as rural and mountainous areas, while the service could also play an important role in disaster zones — something that Starlink has done a number of times in recent years to support emergency and relief efforts. The company plans to deploy a constellation of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit, which will be completed by 2029 at the latest. Before then, Amazon is aiming to launch a high-speed broadband service by the end of this year with around 1,000 satellites, though building the constellation over time will improve network performance and reliability for what the company expects to be a growing customer base. To deploy its internet satellites, Amazon has secured more than 90 rocket launches with a slew of spaceflight firms that include not only ULA but also ArianeGroup, Blue Origin, and even SpaceX, spending more than $10 billion in launch contracts. Customers signing up to the Project Kuiper service will be able to choose from three types of user terminals: a compact 7-inch square model for portability (up to 100 Mbps), a standard 11-inch model for households (up to 400 Mbps), and a larger model for enterprises (up to 1 Gbps). Amazon expects to sell its standard customer terminal for around $400 per unit, which would make it about $50 more expensive than Starlink's terminal for residential customers. Interested in watching the launch? Digital Trends has everything you need to know.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
ULA delays second round of Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites
The planned ULA launch has been postponed due to an Engineering Observation, according to officials. A new launch date has not been announced. United Launch Alliance is preparing to launch its Atlas V rocket on Monday. The launch is currently set for 1:25 p.m. from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. ULA is looking to launch a second batch of satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper internet service. Monday's planned launch has been pushed back several times because of bad weather. Channel is monitoring the scheduled rocket launch and will provide updates on Eyewitness News. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
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.
