Amazon Leo, the low Earth orbit satellite network formerly known as Project Kuiper, has surpassed the 300-satellite mark following two launches on separate continents within a single week.
On 30 April 2026, Arianespace successfully deployed 32 satellites aboard an Ariane 64 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The mission, designated LE-02, followed an Atlas V launch earlier in the week, marking a significant acceleration in the company’s constellation deployment.
The Ariane 64 vehicle delivered the satellites to an altitude of approximately 465 kilometres. Following separation, the mission operations centre in Redmond, Washington, assumed control of the spacecraft to conduct initial health checks.
The satellites will now be raised to their assigned operational orbit between 590 and 630 kilometres.
Since beginning full-scale deployment in April 2025, Amazon Leo has completed 11 missions. The company says it has secured more than 100 launches to date as it works toward its initial constellation of more than 3,000 spacecraft.
The next mission for Arianespace will feature a higher-performance variant of the Ariane 64 with upgraded P160C boosters, a configuration intended to enable the deployment of more satellites per launch.
