Amazon has finally launched the first batch of Project Kuiper internet satellites aboard United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket. The company was scheduled to launch the first 27 of what will eventually be a constellation of more than 3,200 satellites on April 8. However, the launch has been postponed. A previous investigation by Bloomberg noted that Kuiper has struggled to ramp up satellite production, causing significant delays in its schedule. If this is true, the company would have to ask the FCC for a delay to meet its promise to the government to have 1,600 satellites in orbit by next summer.
However, an Amazon spokesperson denied that the company has any manufacturing issues. Both said that Amazon is on track to meet its goal and will continue to increase the pace of production and release. About seven hours after the launch, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that the company has confirmed that "the first 27 production satellites are operating as scheduled in low-Earth orbit." Amazon currently has more than 80 launches planned for ULA, in addition to Atlas V and Aerospace Corp.'s new Vulcan Centaur heavy rocket. The company aims to provide internet access to remote areas that are typically out of reach with traditional internet connections. Its biggest rival, SpaceX's Starlink, already has more than 7,000 operational satellites in orbit.