Amazon ramps to 27 satellites a week as Leo nears launch

Amazon Leo is Amazon’s satellite broadband network, the project formerly known as Project Kuiper. Like Starlink, it uses thousands of small satellites in low Earth orbit, roughly 350 to 500 miles up. Being that close to the ground keeps delays short enough for video calls and gaming, which older satellite internet from much higher orbits struggled with.

The first generation of the network calls for 3,232 satellites. A second generation has already been filed with regulators and is in design. Amazon also bought Globalstar for $11.6 billion in April, giving it a path to direct-to-device service, where a phone talks straight to a satellite.

The program is run by Rajeev Badyal, who led Starlink in its early years until Elon Musk fired him eight years ago for moving too cautiously.

The production numbers show how far Amazon has come. It took the company six months to build its first 27 satellites. It now builds that many every week, and the Kirkland plant has capacity for up to five a day.

Amazon took over an empty 170,000 square foot building in December 2022 and had it making satellites within 15 months. It builds its own propulsion systems and borrowed testing methods from consumer electronics, cutting some checks from weeks to hours. That makes it the world’s second-largest satellite maker, behind SpaceX. Paul Palcisco, who runs production, has said there were early weeks when the team broke more satellites in testing than it shipped.

Rockets, not factories, are the bottleneck. Amazon has booked about 100 launches across four providers, but its options have shrunk. The Atlas V flew its last Leo mission in early July, bringing the total to 396. ULA’s Vulcan was grounded by a nozzle problem, and in May one of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rockets blew up before launch.

The shortfall has already cost Amazon. Its FCC license required 1,616 satellites in orbit by July 30, 2026. Amazon asked in January for a two-year extension, citing the launch shortage. The FCC waived the deadline but removed spectrum priority in the Ka and Ku bands for satellites launched after it, so those satellites must avoid interfering with Starlink. The agency said it could restore priority from October 2027 if Amazon shows the hardware is built and the launches are booked.

Relief is close. Badyal confirmed that Vulcan’s return-to-flight mission will carry Leo satellites, with a second Vulcan being readied to fly more before the end of the year. A third Leo launch on Europe’s Ariane 6 is also expected in the coming weeks. Each Vulcan can carry 40 satellites.

Amazon says it remains on track for initial service this year. Business and product VP Chris Weber said in July that Amazon had launched enough satellites for continuous service across its first latitudes, with later missions adding coverage and capacity.

Do not expect nationwide coverage at launch. Initial service will be limited and aimed at US customers, with coverage expanding over several years as thousands more satellites go up. Vodafone and Vodacom have been beta testing it across Europe and Africa since April. On the airline side, JetBlue plans to offer Leo Wi-Fi from 2027 and Delta from 2028.

Amazon has not announced Amazon Leo pricing. Its biggest clue so far is strategy: Amazon plans to bundle Leo with Prime subscriptions and its other consumer services, a direct contrast to Starlink’s standalone monthly plan.

Hardware details are firmer. Amazon has three user terminals, from a compact standard model rated at 100 Mbps up to an enterprise Ultra antenna capable of gigabit speeds.

If you live in a rural part of the US and rely on Starlink, DSL or a weak cellular signal, a second big satellite option should mean more choice and, eventually, pricing pressure. A Prime bundle could make it cheaper for households that already pay Amazon every month. Strategists have also warned that satellite services threaten cable and fixed wireless providers.

Be realistic about timing, though. Starlink has about 10,000 satellites and service in more than 150 countries. Leo starts small, and early coverage will be patchy. If you are shopping for rural internet today, it is reasonable to wait for Amazon’s launch pricing before signing a long contract, but don’t cancel working service on a promise. UK and Canadian availability has not been announced.