Amazon on Monday launched its first batch of Project Kuiper internet satellites, marking the start of its push to rival Elon Musk's Starlink.

The mission, called Kuiper Atlas 1, lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:00 pm local time, aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket that will carry 27 satellites into orbit.

A previous attempt was scrubbed earlier this month due to bad weather.

Project Kuiper, a subsidiary of the online retail giant founded by Jeff Bezos, is playing catch-up with Starlink - SpaceX's sprawling network of internet satellites that has reshaped the sector and handed Musk significant geopolitical clout.

The US$10 billion initiative plans to deploy 3,200 satellites into low Earth orbit - the region of space up to 1,900 kilometres above the planet - with hopes of going live later this year.

Pricing has not yet been revealed, but Amazon has pledged it will align with its reputation as a low-cost retailer.

"Atlas V is on its way to orbit to take those 27 Kuiper satellites, put them on their way, and really start this new era in internet connectivity," said ULA's Caleb Weiss.

With Monday's launch, Amazon formally enters a crowded and fast-growing field that includes not just Starlink but other emerging players in the satellite internet race.

SpaceX launched the first batch of Starlink satellites in 2019 and now boasts more than 6,750 operational units, serving over five million customers worldwide - by far the sector's dominant force.

Starlink has also provided crucial internet access in disaster and war zones, including Morocco after its devastating 2023 earthquake and on the frontlines in Ukraine's war against Russia.

Amazon plans to accelerate launches in the coming months and years, with more than 80 flights booked through United Launch Alliance, France's Arianespace, Bezos's own Blue Origin, and even Musk's SpaceX.

Its satellites will gradually join the swelling ranks of low Earth orbit, alongside Starlink, Europe's OneWeb, and China's Guowang constellation.

Meanwhile, China successfully sent a new group of low Earth orbit satellites from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern Hainan province on Tuesday.

The satellite group, the third of its kind that will constitute an internet constellation, was launched at 4:10 am (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-5B carrier rocket with a Yuanzheng-2 (Expedition-2) upper stage atop the rocket.

Xinhua news agency said the satellites entered the preset orbit successfully. The launch marked the 573rd mission of the Long March series carrier rockets. (AFP, additional reporting by Xinhua)