Amazon Kuiper second satellite launch delayed by ULA due to weather

United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced on Tuesday that it has postponed the launch of Amazon's Project Kuiper internet satellites due to adverse weather conditions during the launch preparation phase. Originally set for Friday afternoon, the mission from Florida's Space Coast has now been rescheduled to take place on June 16 at 1:25 p.m. ET, according to ULA's update. In recent days, Cape Canaveral and other areas along Florida's Space Coast have experienced persistent rain and strong winds, prompting the delay. This upcoming launch marks the second flight aimed at deploying a batch of Kuiper satellites, following a successful mission in April that saw the deployment of 27 satellites into low Earth orbit, which is located within 1,200 miles of the Earth's surface. Amazon confirmed in a blog post that this next launch will also carry another 27 satellites, increasing the total number in their constellation to 54. The tech giant is racing to enhance its satellite deployment efforts to initiate service for customers by later this year. However, Amazon faces significant competition from Elon Musk's SpaceX, which operates the Starlink service. The company has plans to establish a constellation comprising over 3,000 satellites and is under pressure to meet a Federal Communications Commission deadline, requiring half of its total constellation—1,618 satellites—to be launched by July 2026.