Amazon postpones second launch of Kuiper internet satellites due to rocket problem

United Launch Alliance (ULA) has postponed the second launch of Amazon's Kuiper Internet satellites due to a technical malfunction in the Atlas V rocket. CNBC reports.

Half an hour before launch, ULA announced the launch was canceled due to a first-stage engine purge temperature that was too high. As explained by the company's CEO Tony Bruno, the problem was related to a nitrogen purge channel that could not be repaired within the countdown. A new launch date will be announced later.

The launch from Cape Canaveral was scheduled for June 13, but was postponed to June 16 due to bad weather.

Incidentally, Amazon already launched the first 27 Kuiper satellites in April. The next launch was to add 27 more devices, bringing the total number of devices in orbit to 54.

Project Kuiper is Amazon's answer to SpaceX's Starlink. The project aims to provide the planet with high-speed internet from orbit.

Amazon plans to build a network of more than 3,000 satellites. According to the requirements of the US regulator FCC, the company must launch at least half (1,618 satellites) into orbit by July 2026.