ULA sets Thursday Vulcan launch for Amazon’s Kuiper batch as NASA readies Artemis II update
Isabelle Voss ·
United Launch Alliance plans to launch a Vulcan Centaur from Cape Canaveral on Thursday carrying a cluster of Amazon Kuiper satellites. The mission targets a midweek window at Space Launch Complex 41, subject to range approval and weather, to add capacity to Amazon’s planned low Earth orbit broadband network.
The timing matters because Kuiper needs sustained launch cadence to move from pilot service to wider coverage, a phase that affects enterprise contracts and government connectivity buys now being competed for the next fiscal year.
Vulcan targets Kuiper deployment from Florida
Vulcan uses two BE-4 engines on its first stage burning methane and liquid oxygen, then Centaur V performs the orbital insertion. The profile is expected to reach a mid inclination low Earth orbit, with Centaur conducting multiple burns to circularize before sequential satellite separations.
Amazon’s filings outline operational shells near 590 to 610 kilometers at inclinations that include 51.9 degrees. From Florida, that track sends the vehicle northeast over the Atlantic, which reduces overflight of populated areas and fits within Eastern Range safety corridors.
ULA is balancing Kuiper flights with national security and science missions as it transitions off the Atlas V. For Kuiper, each successful deployment reduces pressure on a crowded manifest shared with other providers, and it diversifies away from reliance on a single launch family.
The 45th Weather Squadron will issue updated forecasts closer to the attempt. A backup window later in the week is customary if upper level winds or anvil clouds violate limits.
NASA schedules Artemis II briefing today
NASA said it will provide a Tuesday update on Artemis II, the first crewed Orion and Space Launch System mission. Managers are expected to discuss progress on Orion heat shield corrective work, integrated avionics testing, and ground operations readiness at Kennedy.
Artemis II remains a lunar flyby on a free return trajectory, which sends the crew around the Moon and back without entering orbit. The flight profile validates life support, deep space navigation, and high energy reentry ahead of a later lunar landing mission.
A steady cadence of constellation launches and crewed program milestones signals a maturing market that rewards reliability and schedule performance. Launch providers that can combine medium lift pricing with precise orbital delivery are positioned to capture multi year constellation contracts and the insurance terms that follow.