Amazon's satellite internet initiative, now named Amazon Leo, has reached a key deployment milestone. On July 2, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket successfully launched 29 satellites, bringing the company's total low-Earth-orbit constellation to 396. [2, 3, 8] This was the 14th mission for the project, which was formerly known as Project Kuiper. [2, 7, 8]
Following the launch, company executives confirmed the constellation is now sufficient to begin offering initial internet service later this year. [1, 2, 4, 6] While service will likely begin in specific regions before expanding, the development is a significant step in Amazon's plan to compete with SpaceX's Starlink in the satellite broadband market. [2, 11] The full first-generation network is planned to include 3,232 satellites. [9]