Europe’s Ariane 64 rocket launched 32 satellites for Amazon’s Leo broadband constellation from Kourou, French Guiana, at 16:45 UTC on Wednesday, reaching low-Earth orbit in one hour and 54 minutes as the first commercial customer mission for the Ariane 6 family.
The launch occurred at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou and confirmed Europe’s heavy-lift launch capability. The Ariane 64 variant includes four P120C solid rocket boosters. This setup doubles the payload capacity relative to the Ariane 62, which uses two boosters and has completed five flights since the Ariane 6 inaugural launch in July 2024. The Ariane 64 carries approximately 21.6 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, supporting deployments for large satellite constellations. At 62 meters tall with a 20-meter fairing, it stands as the tallest Ariane 6 constructed, comparable in height to a 20-story building.
The European Space Agency reported that all 32 satellites separated successfully within 114 minutes after liftoff. Arianespace designated the mission VA267, while Amazon labeled it LE-01. This flight begins a series of 18 contracted Ariane 6 launches dedicated to the Amazon Leo constellation, previously called Project Kuiper.
The deployment represents the eighth overall launch for the Amazon Leo network, increasing the total number of its satellites in orbit to 212. Amazon Leo targets delivery of high-speed internet to underserved regions across the world. The service competes with SpaceX’s Starlink, which maintains about 8,000 satellites in operation.
Amazon has arranged more than 80 launches through various providers. These include SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, and Arianespace to support the constellation buildup.
“Today’s successful flight marks a major milestone for Arianespace, for our customer Amazon Leo and for the whole European space sector,” said Arianespace CEO David Cavaillolès.
Featured image credit
