The launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 501 rocket carrying Amazon’s Project Kuiper Protoflight mission is planned for Fri., Oct. 6 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The launch window opens at 2 p.m. EDT.Liftoff will occur from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Launch Date: October 6, 2023
Launch Window: Opens at 2 p.m. EDT
GO Atlas V! GO Centaur! GO Project Kuiper! GO Protoflight!
Launch status update
(Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., Sept. 28, 2023) – The launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 501 rocket carrying Amazon’s Project Kuiper Protoflight mission is planned for Fri., Oct. 6 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The launch window opens at 2 p.m. EDT.
Protoflight: Atlas V stacked ahead of first Kuiper launch
United Launch Alliance (ULA) uses heavy-duty cranes, teamwork and a lot of coordination to assemble our massive rockets before they head into space. That art of rocket stacking is both time-tested and an obligation to some passengers who require vertical integration of their payloads.
This week, engineers and technicians at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, completed the initial buildup of the Atlas V 501 rocket that will launch prototypes of the Project Kuiper broadband system for Amazon.
The satellites will add real-world data from space to results from Amazon’s extensive lab testing, fieldwork, and simulation. This Protoflight mission also helps Amazon finalize design, deployment and operational plans ahead of a full-scale deployment beginning in 2024.
Preparations for this first launch began Sept. 16 with the Launch Vehicle on Stand (LVOS) milestone.
Before sunrise, the move crew arrived at the Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) to configure the Atlas V first stage for its delivery to the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF), located about four miles up the road.
more information follows at this blog...
