Choosing SpaceX (which already operates Starlink, Kuiper’s main competitor) marks a shift from Amazon’s prior “launch-agnostic” stance. Amazon has contracted three Falcon 9 flights among 83 total launches across ULA, Arianespace, Blue Origin, and SpaceX to meet the schedule locked in by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

SpaceX's first-ever launch of Amazon Project Kuiper satellites after Invest 93L swirled across the Florida peninsula.

The Kuiper constellation will eventually consist of more than 3,200 LEO satellites, less than half of what Starlink already has operating, with more competitors to come.