Oct. 9: SpaceX has postponed the planned launch of 24 Amazon Project Kuiper broadband satellites due to deteriorating weather conditions along Florida’s Space Coast. The mission, originally slated for Thursday night, is now scheduled to lift off no earlier than Sunday, Oct. 12, at 8:41 p.m. EDT (0041 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX transporting 24 Project Kuiper satellites inside its payload fairings from Amazon’s Payload Processing Facility at the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility out to Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Image: Amazon
Designated Kuiper Falcon 03 (KF-03), this flight marks the third and final Project Kuiper launch contracted to SpaceX under an agreement signed in December 2023. The Falcon 9 rocket will follow a north-easterly trajectory after liftoff, deploying the satellites into low Earth orbit to further build out Amazon’s growing internet constellation.
Weather Concerns Prompt Delay
According to the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron, only 45 percent favorable conditions were expected during Thursday’s initial launch window—a 10 percent drop from Tuesday’s forecast. Meteorologists cited a developing low-pressure system near the Florida peninsula as the primary factor behind the unfavorable weather.
“With strong east-northeasterly flow and ample moisture from both the Atlantic and Gulf, expect enhanced, fast-moving shower activity Thursday evening,” weather officers noted in their briefing. They added that the situation was unlikely to improve by Friday, prompting SpaceX to move the mission to the weekend.
Booster recovery conditions were also listed as “high risk,” further complicating launch operations.
Reused Booster and Deployment Plan
The mission will utilize Falcon 9 booster B1091, flying for the second time after previously launching the Kuiper Falcon 02 mission. Following liftoff, the booster will aim for an autonomous landing on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately eight minutes after launch. A successful touchdown would mark the 138th landing on this vessel and the 517th overall Falcon booster recovery.
Deployment of the 24 satellites is expected to begin roughly 56 minutes after liftoff and conclude within eight minutes. Once completed, Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation will total 153 satellites in orbit, bringing the company closer to establishing its global broadband network.
This flight represents the sixth mission dedicated to Project Kuiper to date, following three launches aboard United Launch Alliance Atlas V rockets and two previous Falcon 9 missions.
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