The launch of Amazon’s Project Kuiper low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites was yesterday postponed due to inclement weather, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced.
The tech company planned to launch the first batch of 27 LEO satellites into space on 9 April, at 7pm EDT. The launch time was subsequently updated to8:59pm EDT, as it was held up by the cumulus cloud rule and winds.
In a brief statement posted later on X (formerly Twitter), ULA said the launch of the Atlas V rocket carrying the Kuiper 1 mission was scrubbed, with a new launch date to be announced when approved.
ULA launch director Eric Richards also stated that countdown operations would not continue.
“Weather is observed and forecast a ‘no go’ for liftoff within the remaining launch window this evening [Wednesday],” commented launch weather officer Brian Belson.
Project Kuiper is an initiative to increase global broadband access through a constellation of 3 236 satellites in low Earth orbit. Its mission is to bring fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world.
Once live, it will compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink service, among others.
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