When Amazon badly needed a ride, Europe's Ariane 6 rocket delivered

Source: Ars Technica

Ariane 6 delivers Amazon Leo payload

The Ariane 64 flew with an extended payload shroud to fit all 32 Amazon Leo satellites. Combined, the payload totaled around 20 metric tons (≈ 44 000 lb), according to Arianespace—close to the Ariane 64’s maximum lift capability.

Amazon has booked more than 100 missions across four launch providers to populate its planned fleet of over 3 200 satellites. With Thursday’s launch, Amazon has placed 214 production satellites on eight missions with United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, and now Arianespace.

The Amazon Leo constellation competes with SpaceX’s Starlink network, which now operates more than 9 000 satellites serving over 9 million broadband subscribers, all launched on Falcon 9 rockets. Amazon initially bypassed SpaceX when selecting launch partners for the Leo program (formerly Project Kuiper).

Amazon’s launch schedule includes:

• The last nine launches on ULA’s soon‑to‑retire Atlas V (five have already flown).
• Future launches reserved in 2022 on rockets that had never flown before: 38 flights on ULA’s new Vulcan, 24 on Blue Origin’s New Glenn, and 18 on Europe’s Ariane 6.

Credit: Arianespace

Meanwhile, in Florida

All three new rockets suffered delays but are now in service. The Ariane 6 has enjoyed the fastest ramp‑up in launch cadence, with six flights after Thursday’s mission from French Guiana. ULA’s Vulcan rocket has flown four times, and Amazon says its first batch of satellites on Vulcan is now complete. However, a malfunction with one of the Vulcan launcher’s solid rocket boosters on a military launch from Florida early Thursday—the second such anomaly in three flights—raises questions about when Amazon will get its first ride on Vulcan.

Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is gearing up for the third flight of its heavy‑lift New Glenn rocket from Florida as soon as next month. Amazon and Blue Origin have not announced when the first group of Amazon Leo satellites will launch on New Glenn.