Among the large new rockets Amazon was counting on, only Europe has delivered
Summary
Amazon has hundreds of ready-to-launch satellites in Florida waiting to be sent into space for its low-Earth orbit (LEO) internet project. The company relies mainly on the European Ariane 6 rocket for launches, as other planned rockets like Blue Origin’s New Glenn and United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan have not yet flown Amazon satellites.Key Facts
- Amazon has built many LEO satellites that are ready but waiting in Florida to be launched.
- The next satellite launch involves an Ariane 64 rocket from French Guiana scheduled for Wednesday morning.
- Amazon planned to use three new rockets for most of its satellite launches: Ariane 6, Blue Origin’s New Glenn, and ULA’s Vulcan.
- So far, only the Ariane 6 rocket has launched Amazon satellites successfully.
- The New Glenn rocket exploded during a May test, damaging its launch pad and delaying its first flight.
- The New Glenn and Vulcan rockets share the same type of engine, which faces technical issues affecting both rockets’ launch schedules.
- Amazon still has many launches booked with Ariane 6 and hopes New Glenn will resume flights in the future.
- Only about 10% of Amazon’s planned 3,236 satellite internet constellation is currently in orbit.
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