Amazon Challenges Musk: Atlas Rocket Launches Nearly 400 Leo Satellites

Amazon announced that its Atlas V rocket launched 29 additional Leo satellites on July 2, bringing the total number of satellites in the Amazon Leo constellation to approximately 396.

"Cape Canaveral has hundreds of satellites ready for launch, and the newly built dedicated vertical‑integration facility is prepared to support Leo Vulcan 1 and subsequent missions. We have a clear path to increase launch and deployment cadence, helping us rapidly expand network coverage after the initial service launch later this year," said Melissa Wall, head of Amazon’s rocket launch system.

Amazon Leo vice‑president Chris Weber added that although the newly launched satellites still need time to reach their operational altitude, the current launch pace is sufficient to support the first wave of services expected before the end of the year, with future missions focusing on expanding coverage and network capacity.

The Leo network follows the same design philosophy as Elon Musk’s Starlink, aiming to provide broadband connectivity from space to Earth. Jeff Bezos has stated that Amazon Leo will offer download speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps, with three types of antennas and devices available for different speed tiers.

In April, Amazon spent $11.5 billion to acquire Globalstar, a satellite‑communication company that supplies Apple with satellite services. Globalstar operates 24 satellites in orbit and has been working with iPhone since 2022, giving Amazon a solid foothold in direct‑to‑device satellite communications.

Starlink currently operates about 10,400 satellites, far exceeding Amazon’s 396 in low‑Earth orbit. Amazon plans to launch up to 7,700 satellites, but the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has limited the total to 3,232. The FCC also requires Amazon to deploy 50 % of the 3,232 satellites by July 30 of this year; Amazon has requested and received an extension.

While Starlink’s larger constellation provides a first‑mover advantage, the competition will depend on factors such as product and service quality. Amazon’s top‑tier package promises up to 1 Gbps download speed, higher than Starlink’s advertised maximum. Additionally, the UK regulator Ofcom granted Amazon a license in 2025 to offer broadband services to consumers across the United Kingdom.