Amazon Leo and Arianespace strengthen partnership with six additional Ariane 64 launches
Arianespace and Amazon Leo has 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."
