Ariane 6 Launches 32 Amazon Leo Satellites In VA268 (or LE-02) Mission

Ariane 6 mission VA268 launched 32 Amazon Leo satellites (LE-02) into low Earth orbit on Thursday(April 30), at 0857 UTC from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. This flight marked the seventh launch of the Ariane 6 rocket and the second in its Ariane 64 configuration, which utilizes four solid-fuel strap-on boosters for maximum power.

The first-ever Ariane 64 launch occurred in February, when the rocket delivered 32 Amazon Leo satellites to low Earth orbit. VA268 did the same thing.

"For this mission, the launcher will carry the 32 satellites under its 20-meter-long fairing and deploy them into low Earth orbit following a mission lasting less than 2 hours from liftoff to separation of the last spacecraft," Arianespace representatives said in a statement last month.

Thursday's mission, designated LE-02 by Amazon, was completed completed in 1 hour and 54 minutes, with all satellites deployed into an orbit approximately 465 km above Earth.

The deployment altitude of ~465 km exceeds the 400 km target authorized by the FCC, a move SpaceX previously complained about, though Amazon stated the FCC was aware of the adjustment.

Thursday's mission was critical for Arianespace, as Amazon Leo is its primary commercial customer, with a contract for 18 Ariane 6 launches to support the constellation's expansion. The Ariane 64 rocket variant stands approximately 62 meters tall with a 20-meter payload fairing, demonstrating Europe’s heavy-lift launch capability. This launch confirmed the rocket's full operational capability after its debut in February 2026.

Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) aims to deploy 3,200 satellites to provide global broadband internet, competing directly with SpaceX’s Starlink, which currently has over 10,000 satellites in orbit.