Amazon Leo says the latest launch paves the way for a satellite service – GeekWire
Amazon says the overnight launch of 29 satellites should pave the way for its Amazon Leo network to begin offering superfast internet service from space this year, in direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink network.
United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket sent the satellites into low Earth orbit from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12:30 am ET today (9:30 pm PT Wednesday).
This was the last of the eight Atlas 5 launches that Amazon had in store for its satellites. Moving forward, ULA will use the next-generation Vulcan rocket to support the annual Amazon Leo mission. Amazon is also booking launches with Blue Origin, Arianespace and SpaceX.
The latest launch increases the Amazon Leo constellation to 396 active satellites. That will be enough to support continuous communication in the first latitudes intended for commercial service, according to Chris Weber, vice president of business and product for Amazon Leo.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done — including getting all these new satellites up to our assigned orbit — but we’ve completed enough launches for the first service this year, and future missions can only add coverage and power,” Weber said in a LinkedIn post.
Amazon has been testing the service in beta for months with a select group of customers, but communication has been slow due to limited orbital coverage. Amazon Leo’s business plan calls for commercial service to be launched in a limited area focused on the mid-north and mid-south regions, and gradually expand the service area as more satellites go up.
“With hundreds of ready-to-fly satellites located near Cape Town and a new, dedicated assembly center ready to support Leo Vulcan 1 and subsequent missions, we have a clear path to increase launch and mission deployments, helping us rapidly expand network coverage following initial service launch later this year,” said Melissa Wuerl, director of launch for Amazon Leo’s latest programs.
Amazon has not yet announced prices for its satellite broadband service. The first-generation constellation, which includes 3,232 satellites, will be fully operational by mid-2029 – and Amazon has received regulatory approval for a large second-generation constellation.
When Amazon Leo begins commercial service, it will still be far behind SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, which has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit and 12 million subscribers. The Starlink and Amazon Leo satellites are built in the Seattle area.
In the coming years, SpaceX plans to strengthen Starlink’s capabilities in the emerging market for direct-to-device satellite services. Amazon is aggressively targeting that same market with its recent acquisition of Globalstar. Under a separate agreement accompanying the deal, Amazon Leo will begin powering Apple’s iPhone satellite services starting in 2028.
