SpaceX launches 24 more Kuiper satellites for AmazonSpaceX this morning successfully placed another 24 Kuiper satellites into orbit, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The Falcon 9 first stage was new, completing its first flight by landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic. The two fairings completed their 5th and 28th flights respectively.
This was SpaceX’s second of three launches for Amazon, which now has 102 satellites in orbit. It needs to get another 1,498 in orbit by July 2026 in order to meet its licence requirements by the FCC. While ULA seems poised to begin regular launches for Amazon, having a contract for 46 launches (having so far completed two in 2025), the contracts for Blue Origin’s New Glenn (27 launches), and ArianeGroup’s Ariane-6 (18 launches) are more uncertain. Neither company has achieved any launches on their contracts, and it is not clear when either company, especially Blue Origin, will ever begin regular launches.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
98 SpaceX (with another Starlink launch scheduled for later today)
43 China
11 Rocket Lab
9 Russia
SpaceX now leads the rest of the world in successful launches, 98 to 74.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
SpaceX this morning successfully placed another 24 Kuiper satellites into orbit, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The Falcon 9 first stage was new, completing its first flight by landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic. The two fairings completed their 5th and 28th flights respectively.
This was SpaceX’s second of three launches for Amazon, which now has 102 satellites in orbit. It needs to get another 1,498 in orbit by July 2026 in order to meet its licence requirements by the FCC. While ULA seems poised to begin regular launches for Amazon, having a contract for 46 launches (having so far completed two in 2025), the contracts for Blue Origin’s New Glenn (27 launches), and ArianeGroup’s Ariane-6 (18 launches) are more uncertain. Neither company has achieved any launches on their contracts, and it is not clear when either company, especially Blue Origin, will ever begin regular launches.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
98 SpaceX (with another Starlink launch scheduled for later today)
43 China
11 Rocket Lab
9 Russia
SpaceX now leads the rest of the world in successful launches, 98 to 74.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
”Amazon…now has 102 satellites in orbit.”
With this launch Kuiper now passes Iridium to become the sixth largest satellite constellation in the world. Only Starlink, OneWeb, SuperDove, Starshield, and Lemur exceed it.
mkent: I think one or two of the Chinese constellations probably rank about the same as Kuiper. Geely ‘s Internet of Things constellation has I think 41 in orbit. The Guiwang constellation has I think 71 orbiting satellites. Qianfan has at least 90 in orbit.
My numbers here might be slightly out of date. And though these numbers are lower than Kuiper, the difference is not significant. The lead could quickly change if Qianfan does another launch.
”The Guiwang constellation has I think 71 orbiting satellites. Qianfan has at least 90 in orbit.”
I should have mentioned the Thousand Sails (Qianfan) constellation, as it previously held the no. 6 spot at 90 satellites with Iridium holding no. 7 with 82. I mentioned it last time, so I have no excuse for not mentioning it earlier today. So with today’s launch Kuiper passed both Iridium and Thousand Sails to take current possession of sixth place.
Guowang has 60 operational satellites on orbit (57 in LEO and three in GEO) along with 14 early technology demonstration satellites not part of the operational constellation. Guowang has another 20 satellites scheduled for launch over the next month, but Kuiper has another 24 on deck in the first half of September.
I’m predicting KF-03 to launch on a Falcon 9 in September, the first Ariane 64 to launch with Kuiper satellites in October, KV-01 to launch 45 Kuiper satellites on a Vulcan in November, and KA-03 to launch on an Atlas V in December. So far, at least, Kuiper seems satellite production limited and not launch vehicle limited. We’ll see if it stays that way.
”Geely’s Internet of Things constellation has I think 41 in orbit.”
Holy moly! This one slipped completely under my radar (perhaps because I’m not much interested in the Internet of Things). But when complete with 240 satellites this constellation is supposed to provide communications and centimeter-level positioning (!!!) for self-driving cars. For comparison, the new GPS III constellation is currently world-best at 30-centimeter positioning.
The world just got a lot more interesting, and not in a good way.