Amazon will launch 24 of its Project Kuiper internet satellites early Wednesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, according to TechCrunch. The move marks an unusual collaboration between two fierce rivals in the race to dominate low Earth orbit. Amazon plans to deploy over 3,200 Kuiper satellites to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink, which has about 8,000 satellites currently in service. The two companies struck a three-launch deal in December 2023, following Amazon's initial exclusion of SpaceX from launch contracts, which had faced shareholder backlash. Amazon is racing to deploy at least half its initial Kuiper constellation, with a July 2026 FCC deadline looming. Blue Origin’s next test flight of its New Glenn rocket is slated for August 15.
