Project Kuiper Satellites Will Fly on the New Vulcan Centaur Rocket
Project Kuiper will launch two prototype satellites on an upcoming United Launch Alliance mission to test system performance in space.
“Our prototype satellites will be ready this year, and we look forward to flying with ULA.”
Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper.
Amazon created Project Kuiper to deliver fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world, and our upcoming prototype mission will move us one step closer to delivering on that vision. The first two satellites—Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2—will be completed later this year, and Amazon is now planning to deploy both satellites on the first flight of United Launch Alliance's (ULA) new Vulcan Centaur rocket in early 2023.
ULA is scheduled to provide 47 launches for the Project Kuiper satellite constellation, and using Vulcan Centaur for this mission will give the company practical experience working together ahead of those launches. The rocket will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and the prototype satellites are scheduled to share the ride with the Peregrine lunar lander, a NASA-funded spacecraft from Astrobotic.
Prototype Project Kuiper Satellite Will Test Multiple Systems
The prototype mission will help Amazon test how the different pieces of our satellite network work together, adding real-world data from space to results from our extensive lab testing, fieldwork, and simulation. Findings from the mission will be used to help finalize design, deployment, and operational plans for the commercial satellite system, which will provide reliable, affordable broadband to customers around the world.
“We couldn’t be more excited to join the first launch of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur. We’ve already secured 38 Kuiper launches on Vulcan, and using the same launch vehicle for our prototype mission gives us a chance to practice payload integration, processing, and mission management procedures ahead of those full-scale commercial launches,” said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper. “Our prototype satellites will be ready this year, and we look forward to flying with ULA.”
Alongside preparations for this mission, the Project Kuiper team is starting to scale production to support a full deployment. The first production satellites—the more advanced spacecraft that will power our commercial broadband service—are scheduled to launch on ULA’s Atlas V rocket. From there, Amazon will begin to phase in the Vulcan rocket alongside newer heavy-lift rockets from two other space launch companies, Arianespace and Blue Origin.
(Source: Amazon news release. Images provided and from file)