United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Rocket Fails to Place 40 Amazon Satellites in Intended Orbit

The United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket failed to place 40 Amazon broadband communications satellites into their intended low-Earth orbit after an anomaly about 10 minutes after liftoff on November 15. According to Sina Finance, United Launch Alliance said the rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at around 12:40 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on November 15 (1:40 a.m. UTC+8 on November 16); its launch director confirmed the anomaly based on flight data. No specific data is yet available to determine the cause. The company said it would work with customers and other relevant organizations to identify the cause and determine corrective measures. This was the first mission under a contract for 38 Vulcan launches between United Launch Alliance and Amazon. The mission was intended to place 40 satellites for Amazon's low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband project into orbit. The project aims to provide fast, reliable internet service to users worldwide through thousands of satellites.