Since kicking off full-scale deployment in April 2025, Project Kuiper has launched its initial constellation across four missions using rockets from United Launch Alliance (ULA) and SpaceX. The project began with the launch of 27 satellites from a ULA Atlas V rocket on 28 April.
A second Atlas V mission followed on 23 June, deploying another 27 satellites. On 16 July, the first SpaceX Falcon 9 mission lifted off, adding 24 satellites to the constellation. By 11 August, a fourth launch on another Falcon 9 delivered a further 24 satellites – bringing the total to over 100 in just four months.
Amazon plans to build a constellation of over 3,200 low-Earth orbit satellites, intended to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband especially to underserved, remote areas. Under Federal Communications Commission rules, at least half of these satellites must be operational by July 2026.
While Project Kuiper is still in early deployment stages, it is already seen as Amazon’s most substantial challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink network, which currently leads the market with thousands of active satellites and several million subscribers.
Notably, Amazon is also harnessing its own cloud infrastructure Amazon Web Services to integrate ground-to-satellite connectivity, potentially streamlining service delivery and ease of use.
And in a twist of irony, one of Kuiper’s most recent launches was performed by none other than SpaceX’s Falcon 9, underscoring how fierce competition and strategic collaboration can coincide in the space industry.
Although Project Kuiper has yet to commence commercial service currently slated for late 2025 or early 2026, the rapid deployment of satellites has sparked investor optimism. Analysts foresee billions in revenue potential, though concerns remain about the project’s high costs and competitiveness.