Amazon plans to double its launch frequency and cram extra satellites into every rocket as the corporate races to meet up with SpaceX’s Starlink.
Amazon’s Leo is meant to grow to be extra broadly obtainable later this yr. However at the moment, the system spans simply over 200 satellites—too few to kick off a sturdy satellite tv for pc web service. As a substitute, the corporate has been beta-testing Leo with choose enterprise clients.
Because it flew up its first Leo satellites in April 2025, Amazon has accomplished eight flights, with a ninth scheduled for Sunday. “This system is on tempo to finish 11 launches in our first yr of deployment,” the corporate mentioned in a weblog publish.
However for yr two, Amazon says: “We’re on tempo to greater than double our annual launch charge to over 20 missions and ship much more satellites to house at a time.” This consists of utilizing Blue Origin’s New Glenn and United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur, two heavy-lift rockets that may carry much more Leo satellites into house.
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Utilizing New Glenn and Vulcan Centaur is dangerous, provided that each rockets have accomplished solely a handful of launches. But when it pays off, then Amazon can launch over 40 satellites per flight, successfully doubling the deployment quantity.
The corporate even went so far as to say that “nearly all of Leo satellites this yr will launch on new heavy-lift rockets,” which additionally embrace Arianespace’s Ariane 6 rocket. Final month, an Ariane 6 flight efficiently deployed 32 Leo satellites.
Amazon additionally says it may possibly now pack 29 Leo satellites on ULA’s older Atlas V rocket, up from 27, due to a brand new engine design. “Our engineering groups capitalized on the extra efficiency margin, including a fourth degree to the earlier three-tier dispenser configuration for Atlas V.” The 29-satellite payload is scheduled to fly this upcoming Sunday.
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(Credit score: Amazon)
Amazon’s announcement comes forward of a July 30, 2026, FCC deadline to have half of its 3,200-satellite operational. It filed for an extension however dangers shedding authorization to launch the remaining satellites wanted for the community. It is unclear how the FCC will rule, however SpaceX is urging the fee to disclaim the extension.
To show it’s dedicated to launching the satellites, Amazon instructed the FCC it has “greater than 100 missions deliberate by Q1 2029.”
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“By July 30, 2026, Amazon Leo expects to have deployed roughly 700 operational satellites—transferring from the third-to the second-largest satellite tv for pc constellation in orbit,” the corporate instructed the FCC. “By this date, Amazon Leo additionally expects to have its buyer terminals within the fingers of extra enterprise and authorities clients, and to be poised to roll out service extra broadly within the US and throughout the globe.”
This implies Leo may lastly launch to extra customers within the second half of 2026—assuming it may possibly deploy the mandatory satellites on time. For perspective, Starlink grew to become obtainable as a beta to US customers in late 2020 when the corporate had over 800 satellites in orbit.
Within the meantime, Amazon’s Monday announcement provides that it already has one other 200-plus Leo satellites “stacked and prepared for launch.”
“Late final yr, we secured one other 10 launches on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, and we transformed choices with Blue Origin to provide us a complete of 24 agency launches on New Glenn,” the corporate mentioned. “Collectively, these further missions present capability to deploy one other 800+ satellites, and produce our complete Leo launch manifest to greater than 100 missions.”
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Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
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I have been a journalist for over 15 years. I received my begin as a colleges and cities reporter in Kansas Metropolis and joined PCMag in 2017, the place I cowl satellite tv for pc web companies, cybersecurity, PC {hardware}, and extra. I am at the moment primarily based in San Francisco, however beforehand spent over 5 years in China, masking the nation’s expertise sector.
Since 2020, I’ve coated the launch and explosive development of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite tv for pc web service, writing 600+ tales on availability and have launches, but additionally the regulatory battles over the growth of satellite tv for pc constellations, fights with rival suppliers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the hassle to broaden into satellite-based cell service. I’ve combed by FCC filings for the newest information and pushed to distant corners of California to check Starlink’s mobile service.
I additionally cowl cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this yr, the FTC pressured Avast to pay customers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and promoting their private data to third-party purchasers, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I additionally cowl the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in entrance of a Finest Purchase to get an RTX 3000. I am now following how President Trump’s tariffs will have an effect on the trade. I am at all times desperate to study extra, so please bounce within the feedback with suggestions and ship me suggestions.
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