Amazon has revealed a new launch date for its 27 low-Earth orbit satellites as part of Project Kuiper to provide satellite broadband. The new date is set for Monday, April 28 between 7p.m. and 9 p.m. ET (4-6 p.m. PT), barring weather or other factors impacting launch.

The original rocket launch was set for Wednesday, April 9, between 7 and 9 p.m. ET (4 to 6 p.m. PT), but poor weather forced the rocket launch to be scrubbed for the day.

«Weather is observed and forecast NO GO for liftoff within the remaining launch window at Cape Canaveral this evening, according to Launch Weather Officer Brian Belson,» United Launch Alliance said in its live updates Wednesday night. «The stubborn cumulus clouds and persistent winds make liftoff not possible within the available window.»

You can watch the rocket launch live on the mission page or on YouTube.

The launch mission, KA-01 or Kuiper Atlas 1, will be on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and will take place at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

It’ll be a big step forward for the project, which Amazon announced in 2019 with promises of a $10 billion investment. Now the company is poised to enter the race to provide satellite internet service, a space currently dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink, which has about 7,000 satellites. Amazon’s plans call for 3,200 satellites to be deployed over 80 launches. The company intends to provide internet service with this technology later this year.

More competition could improve internet services

The literal space race, which includes Starlink, Amazon and other companies such as Viasat, Hughesnet, Eutelsat and China’s SpaceSail, could mean more internet service availability in far-flung and rural areas with limited broadband options. Though Starlink is the leader in space, some of these other companies are continuing to launch satellites and working to deploy high-speed internet in more markets, such as Brazil. With more players in the market, that could mean faster and cheaper internet in more areas, although whether that actually bears out for consumers remains to be seen.

Mahdi Eslamimehr, executive vice president at Quandary Peak Research and adjunct professor at the Department of Computer Science at USC, said Amazon is well poised to compete with Starlink. «Amazon has made extensive launch agreements with major providers such as ULA, Arianespace, Blue Origin, and even SpaceX itself, positioning Kuiper as a major challenger due to its expansive infrastructure and significant resources.»

He said, «While Starlink currently enjoys clear market leadership, it faces increasing competition from well-capitalized and strategically agile competitors, specifically from China,  suggesting the market will become considerably more competitive in the near future.»

So far, Eslamimehr said, Amazon’s satellite efforts have been promising and successful, at least in the prototype stages. The company has also been testing Amazon Web Services in space. «These developments collectively underscore Amazon’s robust entry into the satellite internet market and reflect positive early momentum in its overall space strategy.»

Beyond how it fares against Starlink and other companies, the Amazon satellite launches are significant in other ways. Eslamimehr said, «Project Kuiper isn’t just about competition; it’s positioned as a critical step toward closing the global digital divide, promising to deliver high-speed internet to underserved communities worldwide.»

Correction, April 4: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the USC professor and Quandary Peak Research executive vice president. His name is Mahdi Eslamimehr.

If you’re up late or early this week, there’s some dazzling activity going on in the sky you can check out. The Lyrids meteor shower will reach its peak early Tuesday morning, when its barrage of space rocks meets the atmosphere in the eastern sky. 

«You will begin to see Lyrids after 10 p.m. local time,» said Bill Cooke, who leads NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. «This year, the light from the crescent moon will not interfere too much with the viewing, but it is best to look away from the moon, preferably placing it behind you.»

Read more: Here’s a Look Ahead at the Year in Meteor Showers

From Earth, Lyrids meteors tend to look unique, because they usually don’t leave the glowing trails of dust that often come with meteor showers. However, Lyrids meteors are known to create occasional «fireballs,» or bright flashes in the sky. 

You’ll see it better away from the city

City lights make it hard to see the sky’s natural features. For the best chance to catch the Lyrids, head away from towns and suburbs to a dark sky in the country. Bring a blanket or sleeping bag, so you can gaze up. 

For the best results, try not to look at your phone screen — the light from the device makes it harder for your eyes to adjust — and just stare up at the sky. TikTok will be there when you get back.

«In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt, and you will begin to see meteors,» Cooke said.

The point where a meteor shower appears to originate from is called the radiant. To find the radiant of the Lyrids, look near the constellation Lyra, which is where the Lyrid meteor shower gets its name. 

The brightest star in the Lyra constellation is Vega. It shines so bright that careful observers might even spot Vega in an area with light pollution. For the meteor shower tonight, look away from the variant a bit, as the Lyrids will appear «longer and more spectacular from this perspective,» according to NASA. 

Five or six meteors could be visible by 4:30 a.m. CT., Cooke said. But, in the past, the Lyrids meteor shower, which visits Earth every April, has surprised lucky skywatchers with as many as 100 meteors per hour. 

The bits of space rock that create the Lyrids come from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, named for A. E. Thatcher, who discovered it in 1861. The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers. We’ve got a full guide to the entire year in meteor showers.