CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — The weather was mighty fine as SpaceX launched more than 20 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites early Wednesday morning.
What You Need To Know
- Project Kuiper’s KF1 mission took off from Space Launch Complex 40
- This was the maiden launch of this Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster called B1096
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/3lB7Zz4S2b
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 16, 2025
SpaceX stated it launched the KF-1 mission using its famed Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:30 a.m. ET.
The 27-minute launch window opened at 2:18 a.m. ET. It meant that SpaceX had during that time frame to launch the satellites.
The 45th Weather Squadron gave an 80% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the main reasons against the launch being the anvil cloud and cumulous cloud rules.
Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.
If the launch was scrubbed, the next attempt would have been Thursday at 1:57 a.m. ET. That launch would have also had a 27-minute window.
Maiden launch
This was the maiden launch of this Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster, called B1096.
After stage separation, B1096 landed A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship pic.twitter.com/paR1pYhTyW
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 16, 2025
About the mission
Amazon stated that its Project Kuiper KF-1 mission will see 24 satellites go into low-Earth orbit at 289 miles (465 kilometers) above our little curved Earth.
These satellites will provide internet to customers throughout the world.
There are currently 54 Kuiper satellites in orbit and after this launch, the total number is expected to climb to 78. Amazon hopes to have more than 3,200 satellites.
Anthony Leone
Source link