CAPE CANAVERAL — Amazon announced on July 2, 2026, that it has deployed enough satellites in low-Earth orbit to support initial service for its Leo internet network. The announcement followed a July 1 launch of 29 satellites aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, which placed them into orbit at approximately 12:30 a.m. ET.

The company stated it is on track to meet its mid-2026 target for commercial availability of Leo service. Chris Weber, Vice President of Business and Product for Amazon Leo, said 396 deployed satellites are "enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes." Weber added, "Future missions will add coverage and capacity."

Amazon has deployed a total of 396 Leo satellites into orbit. The company plans to launch a total of 3,232 satellites for the Leo constellation, with an ultimate aim to build a constellation of roughly 7,700 satellites. Amazon began offering an enterprise preview of Leo for select businesses in November 2025.

In January 2026, Amazon requested an extension on regulatory deployment deadlines, citing a shortage in the near-term availability of rockets. The company signed deals in 2022 to reserve rocket launches with United Launch Alliance, Arianespace, and Blue Origin. A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on the launchpad during a hot-fire test in May 2026. Blue Origin is currently rebuilding the launchpad and investigating the cause of the anomaly. The New Glenn rocket is capable of carrying payloads of up to 45 metric tons to low-Earth orbit.

Amazon stated its next Leo mission will use United Launch Alliance's Vulcan heavy-lift rocket. Melissa Wuerl, Director of Launch Systems for Leo, said, "With hundreds of flight-ready satellites standing by at the Cape and a new, dedicated vertical integration facility ready to support Leo Vulcan 1 and subsequent missions, we have a clear path to increase launch and deployment cadence, helping us quickly expand network coverage following an initial service rollout later this year."

SpaceX launched Starlink service in 2020 with nearly 900 satellites in low-Earth orbit. That initial service offered speeds between 50Mbps and 150Mbps with latency from 20ms to 40ms. SpaceX currently operates over 10,000 Starlink satellites and provides internet connectivity in over 160 countries. Current Starlink performance includes 200Mbps median download speeds, 10Mbps to 40Mbps uploads, and latency around 25ms. Amazon announced the creation of Kuiper in 2019 and later renamed the project Leo.