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Amazon Leo and
Arianespace strengthen partnership with six
additional Ariane 64 launches
Amazon Leo has ordered six
additional Ariane 64 launches from Arianespace,
bringing the total number planned under their
agreement from 18 to 24. The missions will lift off
from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, building
on the initial 18 already underway, with the new
flights beginning in 2029.
In 2026, Arianespace placed 100
Amazon Leo satellites into orbit on three Ariane 6
missions in less than five months.
The six additional launches
support the continued ramp-up of Ariane 6 to serve
all its customers and strengthen Arianespace's
ability to meet the needs of institutional missions
and future European constellations.
Arianespace and Amazon Leo
today announced an agreement at the International
Space Summit in Paris for six additional Ariane 64
launches to continue deploying the Amazon Leo
constellation into low Earth orbit (LEO). The new
order brings the total number of Amazon Leo launches
with Arianespace to 24, up from 18, with missions
scheduled through 2031 from Europe's Spaceport in
French Guiana.
Building on the agreement
signed in 2022, the additional launches mark a new
step in the partnership between Amazon and
Arianespace.
In 2026, Arianespace placed 100
Amazon Leo satellites into orbit on three Ariane 6
missions in less than five months. More than 25% of
the constellation satellites deployed to date were
launched from Europe. On June 17, mission
VA269/LE-03 successfully placed 36 Amazon Leo
satellites into orbit using the new P160C boosters
developed by ArianeGroup, which increase Ariane 64's
payload capacity by up to two metric tons.
The six additional launches
give Arianespace greater long-term visibility and
support the continued ramp-up of Ariane 6. Working
with its European partners, Arianespace is steadily
increasing its launch capacity to meet growing
demand across its customer base.
This additional capacity will
allow Arianespace to serve both the commercial
market and Europe's institutional missions, which
remain fundamental to Ariane 6's role. It will also
strengthen Arianespace's ability to support major
European space programs and future constellation
deployments.
“We are delighted to reach this
new stage in our partnership with Amazon Leo. These
six additional launches demonstrate Amazon Leo's
confidence in the performance and reliability of
Ariane 6, as well as in the expertise of our teams,”
said David Cavaillolès, CEO of Arianespace.
“Long-term commitments from customers such as Amazon
Leo support the ramp-up of Ariane 6 and strengthen
our business model. They increase our capacity to
serve all our customers while ensuring Europe has
the capabilities it needs to deploy its critical
space infrastructure. Ariane 6's strength lies in
its ability to serve both commercial and
institutional missions.”
“Europe isn't just a region we
are going to serve. Europe's launch infrastructure
is part of the operational architecture of the
Amazon Leo constellation," said Chris Weber, vice
president of Amazon Leo business and product. "We
committed early because we believed in what
Arianespace was building, and they've executed
mission after mission. Expanding from 18 to 24
launches reflects our confidence in Ariane 6 and our
continued investment in European launch capability."

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