The mission, called Kuiper Atlas 1, lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:00 pm local time (2300 GMT), aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket that will carry 27 satellites into orbit.
Project Kuiper, a subsidiary of the online retail giant founded by Jeff Bezos, is playing catch-up with Starlink -- SpaceX’s sprawling network of internet satellites that has reshaped the sector and handed Musk significant geopolitical clout.
Pricing has not yet been revealed, but Amazon has pledged it will align with its reputation as a low-cost retailer.
With Monday’s launch, Amazon formally enters a crowded and fast-growing field that includes not just Starlink but other emerging players in the satellite internet race.
Starlink has also provided crucial internet access in disaster and war zones, including Morocco after its devastating 2023 earthquake and on the frontlines in Ukraine’s war against Russia.
Its satellites will gradually join the swelling ranks of low Earth orbit, alongside Starlink, Europe’s OneWeb, and China’s Guowang constellation.
The expanding role of private companies in space has also raised thorny political questions, especially as Musk’s influence stretches beyond business into politics and diplomacy.
Musk has sent mixed signals on Starlink’s future role in Ukraine, where it remains vital to Kyiv’s war effort -- a conflict that Musk ally US President Donald Trump has vowed to bring to an end.
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