en.Wedoany.com Reported - Arianespace executed the LE-03 mission at 9:21 a.m. Brasília time this Wednesday (17th), using the Ariane 64 configuration of the Ariane 6 rocket to send 36 satellites into a low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 465 kilometers from the Guiana Space Centre. Following this launch, the number of satellites in the Amazon Leo constellation in orbit has reached 367.
This is the third launch mission Arianespace has carried out for the constellation in 2026, bringing the total number of satellites launched for the network in the past five months to 100. This mission marks the first use of Ariane 6's new P160C solid booster, a configuration capable of carrying 36 satellites per launch—four more than the previous two missions for the constellation—setting a record for the number of satellites deployed in a single Amazon launch and representing the heaviest payload ever launched by an Ariane rocket.
Amazon stated in a press release that each additional satellite deployed expands coverage and capabilities for customers before the service officially launches this year.
This launch comes as Amazon faces challenges in complying with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) constellation deployment timeline. Earlier this month, the FCC allowed a relaxation of the mid-2026 milestone, enabling the network deployment to continue while maintaining the first-generation constellation completion deadline of July 2029. The decision was made after Amazon acknowledged it could not meet the original target. The explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket during testing in May, which damaged launch infrastructure in Florida, also impacted the deployment process. Currently, Amazon needs to launch an additional 2,869 satellites to complete the FCC-approved constellation by July 30, 2029.
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