Amazon set to accelerate LEO constellation launches

Once at Kourou, Ariane 6 modules will be unloaded and transported to Arianespace’s spaceport in French Guiana, from where it will add 32 satellites to the Amazon LEO constellation in the LE-01 mission in Q1 2026.

Each satellite is built at Amazon’s manufacturing facility in Kirkland, Washington, and shipped to a dedicated processing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, before travelling onward to Arianespace’s launch facilities in French Guiana.

Amazon has launched and commissioned 150 LEO satellites that will provide global connectivity across the world’s oceans when completed.

“We already have six successful Amazon Leo missions under our belt, and seeing Canopee arrive with Ariane 6 brings us one step closer to our first launch with Arianespace," said Amazon Leo vice president Rajeev Badyal.

“Adding a heavy-lift rocket like Ariane 6 to the manifest will allow us to deploy more satellites at a time and help accelerate deployment plans for Amazon Leo.”

In December, Canopee visited several European ports to load the Ariane 6 stages and components before heading to French Guiana, according to Arianespace chief executive David Cavailloles.

"Once the vessel arrives, our teams will offload Ariane 6 and bring it to Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, and then integrate the Amazon Leo payloads with the launch vehicle,” he said. "This mission will mark the first of 18 launches we will conduct for Amazon Leo.”  

Canopee is transporting an Ariane 6 variant featuring four additional boosters for maximum satellite launch capacity.

The France-flagged, 10,669-gt vessel is transporting the rocket’s central core stage, upper stage and other critical components.