Amazon Leo expands its partnership with Arianespace and adds six Ariane 6 launches

Amazon Leo has added six new launches to its agreement with Arianespace, raising the total number of contracted launches for the space internet constellation from 18 to 24 using the Ariane 6 rocket. The expanded agreement gives Arianespace a long-term order at a time when it is working to increase its capacity to serve commercial and institutional customers.

Amazon signed the initial agreement with Arianespace in 2022 as part of a package of contracts to secure more than 80 launches for the Leo constellation across multiple launch vehicles. Arianespace has so far carried out three missions for Amazon Leo, during which it transported 100 satellites into orbit in less than five months, according to the companies.

Ariane 6 performance and payload capacity

In the latest mission, known as Leo Europe 3 or LE-03, the rocket placed 36 satellites into orbit using upgraded P160C solid rocket boosters developed by ArianeGroup. Amazon describes the mission as the largest for the Leo constellation to date and also says that its commercial payload was the heaviest launched by any rocket.

The upgraded boosters increase Ariane 6’s payload capacity by up to two metric tons. Engineering teams at Amazon Leo and Arianespace are working together to increase the number of satellites that can be deployed in each launch by introducing improvements to the vehicle as the constellation expands.

What changes in practice?

The announcement is not merely the addition of six missions to the launch schedule; it links Amazon Leo’s operational expansion to long-term European launch capacity. Chris Weber, Amazon Leo’s vice president of business and products, said that European launch infrastructure had become part of the constellation’s operational infrastructure, and that increasing the commitment from 18 to 24 launches reflected the company’s confidence in Ariane 6 and its continued investment in European launch capabilities.

According to Arianespace, Ariane 6 is assembled and launched from French Guiana, while its supply chain extends across 13 European countries and more than 600 companies. The company cites Oxford Economics estimates that spending related to the program within the European Union could add 2.8 billion euros to gross domestic product and support an average of 3,270 jobs annually through 2029.

Operational context of the constellation

Amazon Leo says it has carried out 14 missions since the start of large-scale deployment in April 2025 and has delivered nearly 400 satellites into orbit, making it the third-largest operational satellite constellation. The network aims to provide fast, reliable internet connectivity to customers and communities not reached by existing networks.

Amazon plans to launch the initial service during this year and then expand coverage globally as capacity grows. The announcement does not specify the number or timing of the six new launches, and the job and economic-impact estimates cited in it are attributed to Oxford Economics, while the performance and reliability figures are based on data from Amazon and Arianespace. Therefore, the timing of the constellation’s completion and the expansion of the service remain points requiring independent monitoring.