Atlas V Rocket to Launch Amazon's Internet Satellites on December 15

United Launch Alliance, ULA, is set to launch 27 of Amazon's internet satellites on December 15. The Atlas V rocket will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida during a 29-minute launch window that opens at 3:49 a.m.

EST, or 0849 GMT. This mission is part of Amazon's Project Kuiper, now known as Amazon Leo, which aims to deploy a network of approximately 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit. To date, six missions have been completed, successfully placing 153 Project Leo satellites into orbit, not including a recent test mission that launched two prototype satellites in October 2023.

This upcoming launch marks the fourth Project Leo mission for the Atlas V, a reliable rocket that has been in service since August 2002. ULA plans to phase out the Atlas V in favor of the new Vulcan Centaur rocket, which has conducted three missions thus far.

Once operational, Project Leo will provide global internet connectivity, competing directly with SpaceX's Starlink, which currently has over 9,000 satellites in low Earth orbit and has launched more than 3,000 of those just in 2025 alone.