Atlas V 551 : Kuiper KA-02 : CCSFS SLC-41 : 23 June 2025 (10:54 UTC)

[GewoonLukas_]

All Kuiper 2 satellites have successfully deployed into space! Congratulations to Amazon and the Project Kuiper team and thank you for again entrusting United Launch Alliance and the Atlas V rocket to deliver.

See our news release: https://newsroom.ulalaunch.com/releases/united-launch-alliance-and-amazon-launch-the-future-of-global-connectivity

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1937118674499874819

United Launch Alliance and Amazon Launch the Future of Global Connectivity
June 23, 2025
Atlas V precisely delivers second batch of operational broadband satellites forAmazon’s Project Kuiper constellation

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Kuiper 2 mission for Amazon’s Project Kuiper lifted off on June 23 at 6:54 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This mission marks the next step in Amazon’s initiative to provide fast, reliable internet to customers around the world, including those in unserved and underserved communities.

“We are proud to continue our strong partnership with Amazon and empower their mission to bridge the digital divide through reliable satellite technology,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. “ULA, working as a catalyst to global connectivity in collaboration with Amazon, enables delivery of these critical satellites designed to drive innovation and connect the world.”

The Kuiper 2 launch deployed the second batch of operational Project Kuiper satellites into the intended orbit. There are six remaining Kuiper missions on the Atlas V rocket, building up to 38 high-cadence, rapid fire launches on the next-generation Vulcan rocket. ULA will deliver more than half of the Project Kuiper constellation’s 3,200 satellites, through the world’s largest commercial launch agreement.

ULA’s next launch is the first Vulcan mission for the U.S. Space Force, USSF-106.

[ZachS09]

My congrats to ULA and Amazon.

Two launches behind, and a lot more on the Kuiper manifest to look forward to.

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/Alex_Lenssen/status/1937110539567796264

More Project Kuiper satellites to orbit today! 🛰️

Atlas V lifts off from SLC-41 at 6:54am this morning.

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1937120173439545688

Atlas V launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida this morning with Kuiper 2 for Amazon

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/interstellargw/status/1937109506288226518

Package Arrives by 7AM 📦

United Launch Alliance just successfully launched the second @amazon Project Kuiper mission onboard an @ulalaunch
 Atlas V rocket!

📷
@BrandonMWynn
 / Interstellar Gateway

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/mdcainjr/status/1937106552378585322

Michael Cain
@mdcainjr
ULA launches its Atlas V rocket in the 551 configuration to support the Amazon Kuiper 2 mission.

[catdlr]

Pete Carstens

https://twitter.com/CarstensPete/status/1937167869915062638

[catdlr]

Ben Cooper

https://twitter.com/LaunchPhoto/status/1937212854815596795

[zubenelgenubi]

Congratulations to the entire launch campaign team! 👏 🙌 👍

Thank you, NSF webcasters! 🌟✨️🎉

[StraumliBlight]

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1937188438421254305

Let us know if you see our missing ULA cameraman. This was the last photo we found on the roll…

[catdlr]

US Launch - US Disabled Veterans


Kuiper 2 - Atlas V 551 - Track to MECO

[catdlr]

And now for Pete Carstens

ULA Atlas V Kuiper 2 launch on 6/23/25

[Robert_the_Doll]

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1937566673047007446 (video)

Bird’s eye view of Kuiper 02 looking down from one of the lightning towers. (Turn up the volume) #Kuiper

[Ike17055]

So, hypothetically, if Starliner launch plan were to be truncated, would the remaining Atlas V rockets be desirable as additional boosters for Kuiper, or would Vulcan continue as the preferred launcher?

[GewoonLukas_]

So, hypothetically, if Starliner launch plan were to be truncated, would the remaining Atlas V rockets be desirable as additional boosters for Kuiper, or would Vulcan continue as the preferred launcher?

Tory recently said on an episode of AviationWeek's Check6 podcast that if that happens it will be up to Boeing to sell them to new customers.

[russianhalo117]

So, hypothetically, if Starliner launch plan were to be truncated, would the remaining Atlas V rockets be desirable as additional boosters for Kuiper, or would Vulcan continue as the preferred launcher?

Tory recently said on an episode of AviationWeek's Check6 podcast that if that happens it will be up to Boeing to sell them to new customers.

Amazon has an MoU, not a Contract for the remaining Atlas-V's beyond what they already purchased through ULA. Amazon or any other purchasing customer would have to pay Boeing for them and pay/reach agreement with Boeing to pay for launcher reconfiguration work and ordering required mission items such as the Atlas-V 500 series interstage, upper and lower PLF sections and any barrel plug sections, two Centaur forward load reactor deck panels and any additional AJ-60A/GEM-63 SRB's (not sure if they are allowed to fly the two types together or if they all have to be the same as that isn't something that was evaluated in the GEM-63 documentation) the payload might need. Also depending on the customer the Centaur-III would need to be converted from the DEC configuration to the SEC configuration.

[Robert_the_Doll]

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1937582784219914302 (video)

SOUND UP! United Launch Alliance's high-performance Atlas V 551 rocket powers toward space on 2.7 million pounds (12 megaNewtons) of thrust to precisely deliver the second batch of
@ProjectKuiper satellites for Amazon.

[catdlr]

Pete Carstens

Isolated shot of ULA Kuiper 2 Slow.

[Robert_the_Doll]

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1937676686696595536

Sometimes it’s hard to hold the camera steady... #Kuiper2 (turn up the volume)

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1937971945389129847

Atlas V takes flight with the second grouping of satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper