Amazon has now deployed enough satellites to deliver a space-based internet service to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink, a company executive has said.
The latest launch of 29 satellites from Florida on Thursday aboard an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance put the size of the constellation above 390, which is enough to roll out initial service of its Leo broadband network.
“Still lots of work ahead – including raising all these new satellites to their assigned altitude," Amazon's Leo chief Chris Weber said in a post to X.
"But we’ve completed enough launches for initial service this yr, and future missions just add coverage and capacity."
Service for Amazon Leo will likely be restricted to northerly and southerly latitudes at first, before spreading towards the equator as more satellites are deployed.
The firm claims that its satellite network will be the world’s fastest space internet service due to new Leo Ultra antenna.
There has already been a limited roll out to select business customers, including clean energy company Hunt Energy Network and the airline JetBlue.
Amazon has previously revealed plans to launch 3,232 satellites for the first-generation Leo constellation. The US tech giant then hopes to launch a further 4,504 second-generation satellites.
SpaceX has already launched more than 10,000 satellites for its Starlink network, which now serves over 12 million customers across more than 150 countries.
The company’s launch cadence is also significantly higher than Amazon’s, delivering nearly 1,600 Starlinks to orbit in the first half of 2026.
Amazon’s deployment suffered a setback earlier this year when Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket booster exploded during a test at its Cape Canaveral launchpad.
The private space firm, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was set to deliver roughly a quarter of the Leo satellites to orbit, though extensive damage to the launch complex has grounded future missions until late 2026.
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, which is scheduled to launch 40 Leo missions, has also been grounded after an issue with its rocket separation motor.
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