SpaceX preparations underway for rivals' trip to orbit using Starlink's transportation services
In an unexpected move, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched 24 satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on July 16, 2025, at 2:30 a.m. EDT (0630 UTC). The launch window was 27 minutes starting at 2:18 a.m. EDT.
The mission, known as KF-01 or Kuiper Falcon 1, successfully deployed the 24 Project Kuiper satellites to low-Earth orbit (LEO). The satellites began deployment about 56 minutes after liftoff, over an eight-minute span, and will later raise their orbits to their operational altitude of roughly 392 miles (630 km).
This collaboration between SpaceX and Amazon, who are rivals in the satellite internet sector, is not the first for SpaceX in this field. The first deployment of SpaceX's Starlink occurred in 2019 and has since grown to more than 7,000 satellites, serving over 5 million customers globally.
Amazon's Project Kuiper, like SpaceX's Starlink, offers internet connectivity to individuals and businesses worldwide. However, unlike Starlink, Amazon is using multiple launch providers, including ULA, SpaceX, Arianespace, and Blue Origin, for Project Kuiper satellite launches. Blue Origin, a company started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is likely to send Project Kuiper satellites to orbit.
The tight deadline for satellite deployment has been prompted by regulatory requirements. Amazon must deploy half of its planned 3,200 satellites for Project Kuiper by the end of July 2026, with the remaining satellites facing a July 2029 deadline for deployment. Failure to meet the initial milestone for satellite deployment could risk key license permissions for Amazon's Project Kuiper.
Amazon may be granted additional time if it fails to meet the initial satellite deployment milestone. The company has already deployed 54 internet satellites in two missions. This launch is not the first for Amazon's Project Kuiper, as they have previously conducted two missions.
The launch was not the first collaboration between SpaceX and another company in the satellite internet sector. The collaboration intensifies the high-stakes race for dominance in the orbital internet sector, with both SpaceX and Amazon aiming to provide fast and reliable internet connectivity to remote and underserved areas.
A live webcast of the launch can be watched on X @SpaceX. The Falcon 9 first stage booster for this mission (Booster B1096) was making its maiden flight, and after stage separation, it successfully landed on the SpaceX droneship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
- This collaboration between SpaceX and Amazon, who are rivals in the satellite internet sector, highlights the pivotal roles of technology and finance in driving advancements in science and space-and-astronomy.
- In the competitive landscape of the orbital internet sector, both SpaceX and Amazon are leveraging the power of industry to provide fast and reliable connectivity to remote and underserved regions, reinforcing the symbiotic relationship between technology and progress.
