United Launch Alliance (ULA) has delayed the debut launch of their Vulcan Centaur rocket until early 2023. However, it will carry an important new payload by that time: the first two prototype satellites of Amazon's planned space-based internet constellation, named Project Kuiper.
Most Divisions Are Running Late Behind the Schedule
Before rescheduling it, the new heavy-lift class rocket from ULA's launch facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida was expected to fly this year.
ULA issued a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 12, explaining the timeline change. It said it was necessary since neither the payload nor the launch vehicle would be ready to fly by the end of the year.
The pushback in the launch date is in response to a request by Astrobotic, the company that will be sending the Peregrine lunar lander to the Moon as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
The company's Vulcan rocket production is likewise running behind schedule. According to the report, it will be another month before a flight-ready version can be shipped to Florida.
Blue Origin, the space corporation founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, supplied the rocket's BE-4 engines, but the rocket is currently stranded at ULA's plant in Decatur, Alabama, awaiting installation.
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Amazon Is Joining the Vulcan Centaur Rocket
After establishing a multi-launch agreement with ABL Space Systems in November 2021, Amazon planned to launch its prototype KuiperSat-1 and 2 satellites early the following year. However, the new launch business will not be able to get the satellites into the air on time because the RS1 rocket is still in the prototype stage.
With the first two prototypes completed by the end of the year, Amazon wants to produce more than 3,000 satellites capable of beaming space-based internet connectivity to consumers in unserved and underserved locations around the world.
While Amazon still plans to retain two launches with ABL Space Systems, per the terms of the original launch agreement, the company has shifted its focus to ULA in order to launch the first prototypes of its internet-beaming satellites.
Reportedly, having a variety of rockets at their disposal allowed them to meet the program's goals better while also lowering the risks associated with launch vehicle stand-downs.
The Project Kuiper
Amazon has contracts with several launch providers, including ABL Space Systems, ULA, Blue Origin, and the French company Arianespace.
"We couldn't be more delighted to join the inaugural launch of ULA's Vulcan Centaur," Rajeev Badyal,
The vice president of technology for Amazon's Project Kuiper, Rajeev Badyal, said in a statement released on Wednesday that they are delighted to join the inaugural launch of the Vulcan Centaur.
"We've already secured 38 Kuiper launches on Vulcan, and using the same launch vehicle for our prototype mission gives us a chance to practice payload integration, processing, and mission management procedures ahead of those full-scale commercial launches," Badyal said via Florida Today.
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Written by Trisha Kae Andrada
