Amazon satellites are set to catch a rocket ride next year
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Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) announced that Project Kuiper satellites will fly on the new Vulcan Centaur rocket in early 2023 as part of the United Launch Alliance mission to test system performance in space.
The company said it created Project Kuiper to deliver fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. The upcoming prototype mission is seen as moving the project one step closer to delivering on that vision.
Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2 satellites will be completed later this year and be deployed on the first flight of United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket in early 2023. The rocket will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and the prototype satellites are scheduled to share the ride with the Peregrine lunar lander, a NASA-funded spacecraft from Astrobotic. The prototype mission will help Amazon (AMZN) test how the different pieces of the satellite network work together, adding real-world data from space to results from extensive lab testing, fieldwork, and simulation.
To support the ambitious deployment plan, Amazon (AMZN) and partners are investing in new production and launch infrastructure in the U.S. and Europe. 
Project Kuiper moves forward even as Amazon scraps multiple ventures, continuing cost-cutting moves.