Amazon to launch much-awaited satellites to rival SpaceX

Dubbed the protoflight mission, it'll be the first in-flight test of the firm's ambitious Project Kuiper initiative, on which it has pledged to spend over $10 bn

- LOREN GRUSH & MATT DAY

Amazon.com is poised to launch its first two test satellites for Project Kuiper on Friday, as Jeff Bezos' tech giant races to build out a massive internet-from space constellation to compete with SpaceX's Starlink.

The test satellites are set to take off on United Launch Alliance's Atlas V workhorse rocket in Florida at 2 pm local time. Dubbed the "protoflight" mission, the satellites, which Amazon hoped to have in space a year ago, are meant to test out the company's ability to beam broadband internet from orbit.

It'll be the first in-flight test of Amazon's ambitious Project Kuiper initiative, on which it's pledged to spend more than $10 billion.