17 June 2026 year Fr. 12:21 (UTC) from the Guiana Space Centre (Build it), French Guiana, using a launch vehicle «Ariane 64» a launch was made 36 US spacecraft «Amazon Leo (THE-03)».
«Amazon Leo (THE-03)» – it is a batch of satellites in low Earth orbit, which will provide broadband online access, analogue of the American Starlink system. To manage this constellation will be Kuiper Systems LLC, Amazon subsidiary. Satellites are planned to be placed in 98 orbital planes in three orbital layers: at a height 590 km, 610 km and 630 km. The company has invested over 10 billions of dollars in this project.
«Amazon Leo», formerly known as «Project Kuiper», will become a direct competitor Starlink from SpaceX. Amazon concluded contracts on 92 Running with different providers, In particular, United Launch Alliance, Arianespace і Blue Origin, To deploy his satellite group.
Ariane 64 – це найпотужніша конфігурація ракети-носія Ariane 6, which is equipped with four P120C solid-fuel boosters (instead of two in Ariane 62). Завдяки цьому збільшується тяга та вантажопідйомність – до ~21,5 тон і можливість вивести на орбіту 36 satellites for one launch – on 4 more, ніж у двох попередніх місіях Amazon.
На даний момент угруповання становить 329 identified KA. Даний запуск розширить угруповання КА «Amazon Leo» ще на 36 KA. Amazon to create a group with 3276 KA.
According to the CCS