Hundreds of flight-ready satellites for Amazon’s low-Earth orbit internet constellation are currently awaiting launch in Florida, according to an Amazon official. The company is manufacturing several satellites daily to populate its Project Kuiper network.
Arianespace Steps Up as Key Launch Partner
Steve Metayer, vice president of Amazon Leo Production Operations, stated that the satellites are built and ready in a payload processing facility. His comments came ahead of the company’s next scheduled launch, which will deploy three dozen Amazon Leo satellites into orbit using an Ariane 64 rocket from a spaceport in French Guiana. The liftoff was targeted for Wednesday morning.
France-based Arianespace has become a crucial partner for Amazon’s ambitious satellite deployment plans. Historically, the majority of Amazon’s 331 satellites have been launched on Atlas V rockets. However, with only one more mission booked on the Atlas V, which is operated by United Launch Alliance and slated for retirement, Amazon has been seeking alternative launch providers.
New Rocket Ventures Lagging for Amazon
Four years ago, Amazon secured launch agreements on three new large rockets to deploy the bulk of its Leo constellation. These included 18 launches on the Ariane 6 rocket, 12 launches on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket with options for 15 more, and 38 launches on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket. To date, only Arianespace has successfully launched Amazon satellites, completing two missions earlier this year and preparing for another this week, with further launches planned.
Neither Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which is also owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, nor the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, has yet launched Amazon satellites. Metayer acknowledged Arianespace’s reliability, noting their adherence to manifest dates and safe orbital insertions. Amazon anticipates continuing its relationship with Arianespace for the remaining 16 launches on their current contract and sees them as a long-term partner.
Steve Lopez is the Editorial Page Editor for News Raise. He covers Health. He has won more than a dozen national journalism awards for his reporting and column writing at seven newspapers and four news magazines.
