A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 12:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, carrying 29 more satellites for Amazon.com Inc.'s low Earth orbit broadband effort.
The flight deposited the latest batch of Amazon Leo satellites into orbit as the company advances toward the launch of its planned broadband service later this year and competes with SpaceX's Starlink network.
According to Chris Weber, vice president of business and product for Amazon Leo, the company has now placed more than 390 satellites in orbit. Weber said in an X post that this level of deployment completes the launches needed for initial service this year, while stressing that additional work remains. In particular, he noted that teams must raise the newly launched satellites to their assigned altitude.
United Launch Alliance's Atlas V has been responsible for launching roughly 60% of Amazon's satellite fleet so far. The company plans to transition subsequent missions to ULA's newer Vulcan rocket.
United Launch Alliance, the joint venture between Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., has experienced delays and technical issues with the Vulcan rocket. The vehicle has flown only four times since its first launch in January 2024 and has not flown since a technical anomaly affected a February mission.
The recent Atlas V mission represents a milestone in Amazon's deployment timeline by delivering a significant number of satellites needed for initial service. Operational steps still required before customer-facing services can begin include orbit-raising maneuvers to position the latest satellites where they can provide coverage.
While Atlas V missions have so far handled the majority of Amazon's launches, the program's reliance on Vulcan for future flights introduces an element of schedule uncertainty given the Vulcan's limited flight history this year and its recent technical interruption.
The development signals progress for Amazon's broadband ambitions while also underscoring remaining technical and operational tasks that must be completed before service launch.