Amazon Plans 40-Satellite Deployment on Its First Vulcan Launch

Amazon plans to launch 40 Amazon Leo satellites aboard United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket on Friday, Nov. 13, setting a date for its satellite-internet venture’s first flight on the vehicle. The mission would also open a 38-mission partnership between Amazon and United Launch Alliance.

Vulcan is expected to play a central role in Amazon’s satellite-internet effort. Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is the company’s broadband satellite network, which is authorized for a first-generation constellation of 3,232 satellites. Amazon plans to begin rolling out service to customers in 2026.

The planned deployment differs from the company’s 1,000th Leo satellite milestone, which counted spacecraft completed at a Kirkland, Washington, factory. That count did not reflect how many satellites Amazon had launched or had operating in orbit. The Nov. 13 mission would carry 40 spacecraft, marking a launch milestone rather than a manufacturing one.