Update, November 7, 2026: ULA’s first Vulcan Leo mission is now set for Friday, November 13, carrying 40 satellites from Cape Canaveral, jumping ahead of this Ariane 64 flight. See what to watch on launch day.
When is the next Amazon Leo launch?
The next flight is Friday, November 13: ULA's first Vulcan Leo mission, carrying 40 satellites from Cape Canaveral - see what to watch on launch day. The Ariane flight follows no earlier than Monday, November 23, per Arianespace, with a final launch window to be set closer to the mission. That flight, designated VA271 by Arianespace and LE-04 by Amazon, will carry 36 satellites on an Ariane 64, the four-booster version of Ariane 6, flying its advanced P160C boosters for the second time. It is the tenth Ariane 6 flight overall and the fourth dedicated to Amazon Leo this year.
The mission lasts about two hours from liftoff to final deployment. Satellites are dropped at roughly 465 km, then Amazon's Redmond, Washington mission control raises them to their 630 km operating altitude over the following weeks.
How many Amazon Leo satellites are in orbit now?
Nearly 400, according to Amazon's own mission updates page, spread across 14 missions since full-scale deployment began in April 2025. Amazon calls Leo the third-largest constellation in orbit. After LE-04, Arianespace alone will have deployed 136 of them, out of a 24-launch agreement that Amazon expanded by six more Ariane 64 flights in September.
The full launch manifest tops 100 missions across five rockets: ULA's Atlas V and Vulcan, Arianespace's Ariane 6, Blue Origin's New Glenn, and, notably, SpaceX's Falcon 9, which has already flown three Leo batches. Amazon needs that cadence: its FCC license requires roughly 1,600 satellites in orbit by mid-2026, a deadline it has previously sought flexibility on.
Why the four-month launch gap?
Leo's last mission was LA-08, 29 satellites on an Atlas V on July 2. CNES had listed the next Ariane 6 flight for no earlier than October 7. French newspaper La Tribune, cited by KeepTrack and European Spaceflight, reports that ArianeGroup found and fixed an anomaly in a liquid hydrogen turbopump during an engine acceptance test shortly before summer. ArianeGroup declined to comment on the report and pointed only to the new date, so treat the cause as reported, not confirmed. Either way, the slip cost Amazon its entire early-autumn launch slot.
How does that compare with Starlink?
The gap in scale is still enormous. SpaceX's Q3 report this week put Starlink at 13.6 million consumer subscribers and a profitable $5.25 billion-a-quarter connectivity business, with Starship now delivering satellites that add about 10 times the downlink capacity of a Falcon 9 launch each flight. Amazon Leo has the satellites factory and the launch contracts, but as of early November 2026 it has no commercial service, no subscribers, and roughly 400 satellites to Starlink's thousands.
What Leo does have is momentum in partnerships: an AT&T business distribution deal, a demonstrated 400 Mbps link for the US Army, and a reported plan to bundle service with Prime (all covered in our earlier report).
What does this mean if you're waiting for Amazon Leo?
Amazon still says it is tracking a 2026 service debut (Light Reading, October 12), but with one launch left on the public manifest before year-end and roughly 400 satellites up, any 2026 "service" will likely be a limited beta for enterprise and government partners rather than something you can order for your house. If you need rural broadband now, Leo is not an option yet; Starlink is the only LEO service selling to US homes today.
If you are weighing Starlink, our October plans and prices guide has the current tiers, and if you order through our referral link, you and the site owner get the same reward, paid as cash or service credit after two months of subscription (Starlink's US example is $100; the amount shown in your Starlink account is what counts).
Frequently asked questions
When is Amazon Leo's next launch?
Friday, November 13, 2026: ULA's Vulcan Leo 1 from Cape Canaveral, carrying 40 satellites. Mission LE-04/VA271 follows no earlier than Monday, November 23, 2026: 36 satellites on an Ariane 64 from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.
How many Amazon Leo satellites are in orbit?
Nearly 400 across 14 missions since April 2025, per Amazon. After the November 23 launch, Arianespace will have deployed 136 of the total.
Why has Amazon Leo not launched since July?
The next Ariane 6 flight slipped from early October to November 23. La Tribune reported a liquid hydrogen turbopump anomaly was found and fixed; ArianeGroup declined to confirm, so the cause is reported, not official.
When can I sign up for Amazon Leo?
Amazon says it is still targeting a 2026 service debut, but has announced no consumer sign-up date or pricing. Initial service is expected to focus on enterprise and government customers.
Is Amazon Leo bigger than Starlink?
No. Leo has nearly 400 satellites and no commercial service yet; Starlink has thousands of satellites and 13.6 million consumer subscribers as of SpaceX's Q3 2026 report.
Sources
- Arianespace: 36 Amazon Leo satellites on November 23 at the earliest, 10th Ariane 6 flight (Oct. 14, 2026)
- Amazon: Leo mission updates, nearly 400 satellites in orbit (Oct. 14, 2026)
- KeepTrack: Ariane 6 slips to Nov 23 after reported turbopump fix (Oct. 16, 2026)
- Light Reading: Amazon Leo still tracking for 2026 service launch (Oct. 12, 2026)