Amazon Leo Aims to Increase Satellite Launch Cadence to Expand the Constellation

Amazon Leo

Amazon Leo has announced that it has entered into an agreement with the major US airline Delta Air Lines, but this is not the only news regarding the satellite constellation that seeks to compete with SpaceX's Starlink. The American company aims to increase the launch cadence of satellites in the coming months, with the next three slated for within a few weeks.

According to reports, the next launch is set for April 4 at 7:45 AM (Italian time) and will be the LA-05 mission (Leo Atlas 5), which will utilize a ULA Atlas V rocket in the 551 configuration. By the end of the month, there will be another launch of an Atlas V rocket for the LA-06 mission (Leo Atlas 6). This will be followed by a launch with the European Ariane 6 rocket for the LE-02 mission (Leo Europe 2) in the 64 configuration, which includes four side boosters, as seen previously with LE-01 (Leo Europe 1).

Amazon Leo also added that the upcoming Atlas V missions will have a heavier payload as the satellites will increase from 27 to 29 starting with Leo Atlas 5 (LA-05). Until the arrival of the new Ariane 6 rockets, this will carry the most units, reaching 32 simultaneously. In the future, updates to the Ariane 6 with the P160C boosters could further increase the launch capacity.

With the debut of ULA Vulcan Centaur and Blue Origin New Glenn, there will be a possibility to bring even more satellites into orbit. For instance, the first could handle up to 40 units while the latter could even deploy 48 satellites simultaneously (considering the first stage will be recovered).

Currently, the satellite constellation (previously known as Project Kuiper) consists of over 200 satellites, which is few compared to the over 10,000 of Starlink. However, Amazon has assured that the production of satellites is in full swing, and thus the numbers will grow soon. In general, the aim is to reach eleven launches per year.

The US company stated that the Kirkland (Washington) facility can build up to 30 satellites per week, and there are currently hundreds of satellites ready for launch awaiting the rocket's availability. If the project proceeds as planned, the commercial debut of Amazon Leo could take place in 2027, while the constellation will continue to expand.