Amazon Leo reaches 390 satellites and targets 3,000 by July 2029 to challenge Starlink

Amazon Leo now has more than 390 satellites in orbit. That figure is still a long way short of the company’s end goal, but it is enough to begin delivering a dependable service at its initial latitudes as early as this year. As a future rival to Starlink, Amazon Leo is expected to surpass 3,000 satellites by July 2029.

Amazon has been aiming for several years to take on Starlink, which currently sits in a near-monopoly position for satellite internet. The e-commerce giant has now moved closer to that ambition. In a post on X, Chris Weber, the Vice President in charge of Amazon Leo, says the Amazon Leo constellation has grown to more than 390 satellites.

Amazon remains far behind Starlink in the number of LEO satellites it has in orbit, and it is also still well short of its own target of crossing the 3,000-satellite mark. Even so, Weber says this latest milestone finally gives Amazon Leo the ability to offer a reliable service across its first operating latitudes.

“There is still a lot of work to do - including getting all of these new satellites to their respective altitudes - but we have completed enough launches for initial service this year, and future missions will only increase coverage and capacity”, he also explains. It is also worth noting that Amazon has already begun trials of its Ultra offer, which allows businesses to reach up to 1 Gbps download speeds.

Amazon Leo launch shortages push the company to diversify partnerships

Rolling out the Amazon Leo constellation is being slowed by a shortage of available launches. Amazon has already secured an extension from US authorities for the deadline by which it must deploy half of its satellites. Even so, it must still complete its Leo constellation (more than 3,000 satellites) by July 2029.

To keep deployment on track, Amazon is relying on multiple launch partners. Its most recent satellites were sent up on a United Launch Alliance rocket, but the company is also using rockets from Arianespace as well as SpaceX.

Amazon Leo also turns to satellite mobile internet

Amazon is also already moving into mobile satellite internet, with the aim of competing with Starlink Mobile. This year, it announced the acquisition of Globalstar, the company that provides the iPhone’s satellite connectivity services.