June 16, The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 carrying Amazon’s second Project Kuiper mission, Kuiper 2, is delayed due to an engineering observation of an elevated purge temperature within the booster engine. The team will evaluate the hardware, and we will release a new launch date when available.
ULA says Atlas V launch of Amazon’s Kuiper 2 mission a ‘mostly’ Go! on Monday
Yesterday’s news
Weather 75% GO for Monday’s launch
Everything continues to progress towards the ULA Atlas V launch carrying the Kuiper 2 mission for Amazon’s Project Kuiper. The mission is planned to lift off on Monday, June 16 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch is planned for 1:25 p.m. EDT. Today’s forecast shows a 75 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch.
United Launch Alliance (ULA) will use its Atlas V rocket to deliver the second batch of Project Kuiper satellites into space for Amazon. Project Kuiper is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband network. Its mission is to provide fast, reliable internet to customers around the world, including those in unserved and underserved communities, using a constellation of more than 3,200 LEO satellites.
The forecast from the Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 weather squadron and Launch Weather Officer Jimmy Taeger for Monday afternoon’s launch of Atlas V indicates a 75 percent chance of acceptable conditions. The Cumulus Cloud Rule is the only concern.
The launch time forecast for 1:25 p.m. EDT (1725 UTC) includes scattered clouds and high-level cirrus, a chance of isolated showers, good visibility, southeasterly winds 13 to 18 knots and a temperature near 82 degrees F.
“Surface high pressure to the east will maintain southeasterly flow across the Spaceport during the primary and back-up launch opportunities. In this regime, showers and thunderstorms can begin to develop across the region in the early afternoon. However, high pressure aloft and dry air near the region may help limit shower and thunderstorm development early in the week,” the weather team says.
Primary concern: Cumulus Cloud Rule
Launch Forecast Summary:
Overall probability of violating weather constraints: 25%
Primary concerns: Cumulus Cloud Rule
Overall probability of violating weather constraints for 24-hour delay: 25%
If the launch moves to the backup opportunity on Tuesday for some reason, there is again a 75 percent chance of meeting the weather rules.
UPDATE: No delivery for Amazon’s Project Kuiper 2 as ULA calls no go for weather delay
Space Station, Fla., June 10, 2025) — Due to multiple weather delays during launch processing, the launch of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket carrying the second batch of production satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, Kuiper 2, is now planned for June 16, 2025, pending range approval.
The launch is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. EDT at the opening of a thirty-minute window, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Atlas V Project Kuiper 2 launch planned for June 16
An Atlas V 551 rocket, configured with five side-mounted solid rocket boosters and a medium-length payload fairing, will launch the next Project Kuiper satellites into space on the Kuiper 2 mission. Liftoff will occur from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This launch continues a new chapter in the commercial launch industry as Amazon partners with ULA to deploy a majority of its advanced satellite constellation using eight Atlas V and 38 Vulcan rockets in accordance with the world’s largest commercial launch agreement.
