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Amazon announced that its Amazon Leo project is nearing the start of commercial satellite internet service during 2026 after manufacturing its 1,000th satellite and increasing its production rate to 27 satellites per week. The company is preparing to launch additional satellites on Vulcan and Ariane rockets to compete with Starlink through higher speeds and private network options for customers.
Space and satellite companies raised $20.3 billion in funding from seed through growth stages during the first eight months of 2026, the highest annual level on record according to Crunchbase data. Funding is concentrated in the United States, China and Europe, alongside an increase in IPOs and acquisitions, but declines in the shares of some companies show that the scale of investment does not eliminate the sector’s risks.