(NET) Vulcan VC6L • Amazon Leo

(NET) Vulcan VC6L • Amazon Leo

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket, designated V00?, will launch a batch of 42 operational satellites for Amazon's Kuiper constellation. The mission is known as Amazon Leo ? by ULA and LV-01 by Amazon. The Centaur stage will deploy the satellites in an initial orbit of 450km altitude, the satellites will then use their electric propulsion systems to settle into their assigned final orbits. The Kuiper constellation will enable Internet service for customers between 56 degrees north and south latitude. Vulcan will fly in the VC6L vehicle configuration with a double-engine Centaur CV-L upper stage, six solid rocket boosters and a long fairing. CV-L, is 1.94m shorter than the original Centaur V, now renamed CV-HE (Centaur V High Energy). Unlike the CV-HE, which uses a hydrolox-fueled reaction control system, the CV-L will employ a hydrazine-fueled RCS. - Operational satellites of the Amazon Leo constellation (formerly known as Project Kuiper) are a significant upgrade from the two prototype satellites of the Kuiper Protoflight mission. The ~572kg satellites are equipped with Hall-effect thruster technology for propulsion. They feature improved systems and sub-systems on board, including phased array antennas, processors, solar arrays, propulsion systems, and optical inter-satellite links. In addition, the satellites are coated in a dielectric mirror film unique to Amazon Leo that scatters reflected sunlight to help make them less visible to ground-based astronomers. Amazon Leo is planned to work in concert with Amazon's network of 12 satellite ground station facilities. In addition to connecting to ground stations, satellites will interconnect via optical infrared laser connections. Amazon refers to this technology as OISL (optical inter-satellite link).The Amazon Leo constellation is planned to consist of 3236 satellites operating in 98 orbital planes in three orbital shells, one each at 590km, 610km and 630km orbital altitude. Kuiper satellites will fly in mid-inclination orbits, enabling Internet service for customers between 56 degrees north and south latitude. Phase 1 of deployment will be 578 satellites at 630km altitude and an orbital inclination of 51.9 degrees. A total of five phases of constellation development are planned. - Delayed from September, December 2025, Q1, August and September.

📍 Cape Canaveral AFS Launch Complex 41, Titan III Rd, Titusville, FL 32780, USA

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