Jul. 4 at 2:03 AM
Amazon launched 29 additional Project Kuiper satellites aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, bringing its low-Earth orbit constellation to more than 390 satellites as the company prepares to launch its satellite broadband service later this year in competition with SpaceX's Starlink. The mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and Amazon said it has now deployed enough satellites to begin initial commercial operations once the newly launched spacecraft reach their assigned orbital positions.
Chris Weber, Amazon's vice president for Project Kuiper, said the company will now focus on raising the satellites to their operational altitude before activating the network. Atlas V has carried roughly 60% of Kuiper's satellites to date, while future launches are expected to rely on ULA's next-generation Vulcan rocket.
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