Key facts
- Amazon's Project Kuiper has ordered six additional launches on Europe's Ariane 6 rocket.
- The total number of Ariane 6 launches commissioned by Amazon will reach 24 by 2031.
- The new flights are scheduled to commence in 2029 using the Ariane 64 variant.
- This agreement was announced at a space summit in Paris.
- Amazon's Kuiper project aims to offer global broadband internet services via satellites.
Amazon's Project Kuiper has significantly boosted Europe's Ariane 6 rocket program by ordering six additional launches, Arianespace announced Wednesday. These new flights, set to begin in 2029 on the high-capacity Ariane 64 version, bring Amazon's total commitment to 24 launches by 2031. The announcement was made at a space summit in Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated the deal, which comes amid a shortage in U.S. launch capacity. Amazon has largely relied on United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket for its satellite deployments. The increased reliance on Europe's prime launcher highlights current supply chain challenges in the U.S. space sector, although SpaceX's launch activity remains dominant globally.
Amazon's Kuiper initiative aims to establish a global broadband internet network using thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites, directly competing with SpaceX's Starlink. Arianespace has already successfully launched 100 Amazon Leo satellites this year across three Ariane 6 missions. The company previously faced a regulatory deadline to launch half of its initial 3,232 satellites by this summer, a requirement that was waived in June due to supply constraints.
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