A United Launch Alliance rocket lofted 29 satellites for Amazon.com Inc., paving the way for the start of the company’s broadband service later this year in a challenge to SpaceX’s dominant Starlink network.
Latest Launch Details
The Atlas V rocket carrying the latest batch of Amazon Leo satellites took off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 12:30 a.m. local time on Thursday. With more than 390 satellites deployed, Amazon has “completed enough launches for initial service” this year, Chris Weber, vice president of business and product for Amazon Leo, said in an X post. “Still lots of work ahead – including raising all these new satellites to their assigned altitude.”
Rocket Performance and Future Plans
ULA’s Atlas V has launched about 60 per cent of Amazon’s satellites so far, with future missions to use the company’s new Vulcan rocket. A joint venture between Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., ULA has encountered delays and technical problems with the Vulcan, which has only flown four times since its debut in January 2024 and hasn’t taken off since a technical issue during a launch in February.
