A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket left for area within the early hours of July 2, bringing 29 Amazon Leo satellites with it. Amazon says the rocket has efficiently deployed the satellites and that it has already established contact with them in orbit, in addition to ensured that they have been in working situation. All that is still is elevating the satellites to their assigned operational altitude of 392 miles, after which, Leo shall be prepared to start offering prospects entry to its satellite tv for pc broadband service.
This ULA launch, which took off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station, brings the full variety of operational Leo satellites to over 390. That is “sufficient to assist steady service throughout preliminary latitudes,” mentioned Amazon Leo VP Chris Weber. After placing 224 Leo satellites in area, that is the Atlas V’s rocket final mission for the undertaking, as nicely. The following Leo mission shall be utilizing ULA’s heavy-lift Vulcan car, which may carry greater than 40 satellites for each launch and might fly extra steadily, permitting Amazon to develop the service’s protection and capability extra shortly.
Previous couple of launches have been massive for @AmazonLeo – bringing us to 390+ satellites deployed, sufficient to assist steady service throughout preliminary latitudes.
Nonetheless numerous work forward – together with elevating all these new satellites to their assigned altitude – however we have accomplished sufficient… pic.twitter.com/UZb404fXRq
— Chris Weber (@Weber44Chris) July 2, 2026
“With tons of of flight-ready satellites standing by on the Cape and a brand new, devoted vertical integration facility able to assist Leo Vulcan 1 and subsequent missions, we’ve a transparent path to extend launch and deployment cadence, serving to us shortly develop community protection following an preliminary service rollout later this 12 months,” mentioned Melissa Wuerl, Amazon Leo Director of Launch Techniques.
After all, with solely 390 or so satellites in area, Leo nonetheless has a monumental to climb to have the ability to catch as much as Starlink. SpaceX’s Starlink, in any case, has greater than 10,000 satellites at the moment offering its prospects’ satellite tv for pc broadband wants. Along with launching satellites on ULA’s Vulcan rockets, Amazon additionally plans to make use of Blue Origin’s New Glenn car, which may carry greater than 48 satellites without delay. New Glenn’s launchpad exploded throughout a hotfire check in Might, delaying all missions that have been planning to make use of the rocket. However Blue Origin, which was additionally based by Jeff Bezos, has been constructing a brand new launchpad in earnest, in order that it may launch New Glenn flights by the top of the 12 months.
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