United Launch Alliance launched one of its dwindling supply of Atlas V rockets this morning from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 08:09 AM ET into “Chamber of Commerce” blue skies.

After today’s mission, there are only eleven Atlas V vehicles remaining, with six devoted to Boeing’s Starliner program, four for Project Kuiper, and one for a Viasat mission.

Today’s payload was 27 operational broadband satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation, bringing the total number of satellites launched by ULA to 81, with more to come later. Atlas V flew true and delivered the satellites to orbit exactly as planned.

The Atlas V 551 rocket, used for this launch, is among ULA’s more powerful configurations. It includes five solid rocket boosters and a medium payload fairing. The mission is part of a deployment strategy that includes multiple launch providers and vehicle types, including upcoming launches on ULA’s Vulcan Centaur, SpaceX Falcon 9, and the European Ariane 6.

ULA said today that their next launch is ViaSat-3, planned to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. No launch date was given.

Payload

The Kuiper project is Amazon’s initiative to provide broadband internet service through a constellation of satellites. Today’s launch is the fifth of a series of launches of operational Kuiper satellites that aim to meet the conditions set by the Federal Communications Commission, which require half of the planned 3,236 satellites to be in orbit by mid-2026. The full network is expected to be completed by mid-2029, with rudimentary service set to start as soon as late this year.

Following deployment this morning, the satellites will elevate their initial orbit of approximately 450 kilometers to an operational altitude of around 630 kilometers. From this position, they will begin supporting future broadband service coverage as part of Amazon’s long-term strategy to enter the satellite internet market.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

	Details
Mission	Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-59 — Go for Launch!
Organization	SpaceX
Location	Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket	Falcon 9
Pad	Space Launch Complex 40
Status	Go for Launch
Status Info	Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Window Opens	Sunday, 09/28/2025 3:30 AM
Window Closes	Sunday, 09/28/2025 7:30 AM
Destination	Low Earth Orbit
Mission Description	A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation — SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

As of 12:46 PM Thursday September 25, 2025. Launch times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult SpaceX.com for more information.