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For years, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its Starlink satellites have dominated the skies, quietly revolutionizing global internet access by launching over 7,000 satellites since 2019. With his powerful Falcon 9 rockets, Musk turned Starlink into the world’s most visible satellite broadband constellation, providing fast internet to remote corners of the globe.
But now, Jeff Bezos is stepping into orbit.
In a move that signals a new era of satellite competition, Amazon’s Project Kuiper has officially launched its first operational mission. On April 28, 2025, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket delivered 27 Kuiper satellites into low-Earth orbit. This marks Amazon’s bold first step into a market long led by Musk.
Another 27 Kuiper satellites are set to launch as early as June 16, 2025, from Cape Canaveral, Florida—potentially doubling Kuiper’s presence in space. While Amazon still has a long way to go to reach its planned 3,200-satellite system, these early missions represent significant momentum.
Project Kuiper aims to deliver high-speed internet globally, especially targeting underserved and rural regions where traditional service is limited. This will be achieved via a constellation of satellites working in sync with ground-based antennas, fiber networks, and internet gateways.
These current launches are powered by the Atlas V rocket, built by ULA—a Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture. Amazon is also preparing a massive $140 million processing facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to handle future satellite deployments.
Although Bezos owns the spaceflight company Blue Origin, its New Glenn rocket isn’t yet ready for Kuiper missions. So for now, Amazon is relying on launch providers like ULA—and even SpaceX—to deploy Kuiper satellites.
If Amazon hits its benchmarks, it hopes to begin delivering services to customers later in 2025. According to a 2020 FCC filing, partial service could begin once 578 satellites are operational, starting in northern and southern regions and gradually expanding toward the equator.
As ULA gears up for up to five more Kuiper launches this year, the competition between Starlink and Kuiper is just beginning to heat up.
