United Launch AllianceAtlas V 501Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission
Launched
October 6, 2023 · 18:06 UTC
Image: United Launch Alliance
Summary
Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission launched on an United Launch Alliance Atlas V 501 from Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on October 6, 2023 at 18:06 UTC. The launch window ran from 18:00 to 20:00 UTC. It was United Launch Alliance's 159th launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 6,531st orbital launch attempt. It was the 8th Atlas V 501 flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). KuiperSat-2, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 490 × 512 km orbit inclined 30.0°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- Oct. 6 LIVE Broadcast: Atlas V Project Kuiper ProtoflightUnited Launch Alliance
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for Amazon
- Milestone
- 8th Atlas V 501 flight · 1st this yearUnited Launch Alliance's 159th launch3rd this yearhumanity's 6,531st orbital launch attempt163rd orbital launch attempt this year
Webcast
Flight preview
Simulate in Flight ClubOrbit: as tracked
KuiperSat-2 · NORAD 58013 · 2023-154 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- OBJECT A
- Object ID
- 2023-154A
- Epoch
- 2023-10-06 19:19:03 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.24049422 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0015726
- Inclination
- 29.9989°
- Ascending node
- 98.3319°
- Arg. of perigee
- 305.0674°
- Mean anomaly
- 54.8499°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage
- KuiperSat-2 · NORAD 58013 · re-entered April 29, 2025
- KuiperSat-1 · NORAD 58014 · re-entered September 29, 2024
Centaur AV-104 · left Earth orbit October 7, 2023
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
This launch deployed 2 KuiperSat demonstration satellites to 500 km altitude, 30 degree inclination orbit. They were previously scheduled on the 1st Vulcan launch. Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, this constellation will be managed by Kuiper Systems LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon. This constellation is planned to be composed of 3,276 satellites. The satellites are projected to be placed in 98 orbital planes in three orbital layers, one at 590 km, 610 km and 630 km altitude.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
110th launch from Space Launch Complex 41, 2nd this year · 912th from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: Oct 6, 2:06 PM EDT, in daylight
125 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
26 days after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success.
Show 9 earlier updates
Launch success.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/6/2023 · source
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/6/2023 · source
Livestream has started
LL2 · 10/6/2023 · source
Weather 85% GO.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/6/2023 · source
New T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/6/2023 · source
Weather 70% GO.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/5/2023 · source
Tweaked launch window.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/4/2023 · source
Weather 80% GO.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/3/2023 · source
Updated launch window.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/1/2023 · source
Questions
When did Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission launch?
Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission launched on October 6, 2023 at 18:06 UTC. The launch window ran from 18:00 to 20:00 UTC.
Where can I watch Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission?
Coverage: Oct. 6 LIVE Broadcast: Atlas V Project Kuiper Protoflight. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission?
Atlas V 501, flown by United Launch Alliance. Atlas V 501 spec sheet
Where did Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission launch from?
Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA. Liftoff was Oct 6, 2:06 PM EDT local time at the pad.
What orbit did Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission reach?
KuiperSat-2, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 490 × 512 km orbit inclined 30.0°.
How many satellites did Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) Protoflight Mission part of?
Amazon Leo. About Amazon Leo