Weather prevented a rocket carrying the first batch of Amazon satellites designed to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink from lifting off Wednesday, in a setback for the planned Project Kuiper network.
“Stubborn cumulus clouds and persistent winds make liftoff not possible within the available window,” read a liveblog update from operator United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Cumulus clouds are a particular danger for rockets as a nearby launch can trigger lightning strikes, ULA added.
Livestream footage showed steam venting from the white Atlas V rocket laden with 27 Project Kuiper satellites as it stood on the launchpad through successive delays.
Liftoff from Cape Canaveral in the US state of Florida had originally been slated for 7:00 pm (2300 GMT).
Like Starlink, the Kuiper service is designed to provide internet access to even the most remote and underserved areas around the world, including war zones or disaster-struck areas.
Once in orbit, the satellites will be positioned hundreds of miles above the Earth, where they will form the foundations of Project Kuiper — a constellation that Amazon says will include more than 3,200 satellites.
Amazon, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has said the internet service will go live this year.
The project’s pricing has not yet been revealed, but Amazon has promised it will be in line with its existing reputation as a low-cost retailer.
Its first launch will put Amazon into direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink and other satellite internet providers.
The Musk-owned SpaceX launched the first batch of its more than 6,750 operational Starlink satellites in 2019 and is by far the sector’s biggest player, boasting over five million customers worldwide.
Starlink has provided internet access to several disaster and war zones, including Morocco after a devastating 2023 earthquake there, as well as on the frontlines in Ukraine in its war with Russia.
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