{"id":235618,"date":"2026-01-16T02:11:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T02:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/235618\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T02:11:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T02:11:24","slug":"arianespace-to-begin-amazon-leo-launches-in-february","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/235618\/","title":{"rendered":"Arianespace to begin Amazon Leo launches in February"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON \u2014 Arianespace will begin launches for its largest commercial customer in February as it works to ramp up its flight rate and attract additional business.<\/p>\n

Arianespace announced Jan. 15 that it will conduct its first launch for Amazon\u2019s low Earth orbit broadband constellation on Feb. 12 from French Guiana. The mission, the first of 18 under a 2022 contract<\/a>, will also mark the debut of the Ariane 64, the version of Ariane 6 equipped with four solid rocket boosters.<\/p>\n

The launch will carry 32 Amazon Leo \u2014 formerly known as Project Kuiper \u2014 satellites. It will be the first of \u201cseveral\u201d Arianespace launches for Amazon this year, Arianespace Chief Executive David Cavaillol\u00e8s said during a Jan. 15 briefing, though he declined to specify a number. \u201cAmazon will be an important part of the year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The mission comes as Amazon works to accelerate deployment of its constellation and Arianespace seeks to increase the Ariane 6 launch rate.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur teams are working very closely with Amazon,\u201d Cavaillol\u00e8s said, adding that he was impressed by Amazon\u2019s ability to scale satellite production. \u201cOn my side, I am confident that they\u2019ll have the satellites, and Amazon can be confident that we\u2019ll have the launchers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arianespace projects seven or eight Ariane 6 launches in 2026, roughly double the four launches of that vehicle it conducted in 2025. That total will include a mix of commercial and institutional customers, such as weather satellite operator Eumetsat, although Cavaillol\u00e8s said the exact breakdown has yet to be determined.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is incredibly ambitious, and it will be incredibly difficult,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat we achieved last year gives us quite a lot of confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to introducing Ariane 64, Arianespace expects to begin flying vehicles equipped with upgraded solid rocket boosters later this year. The new P160C boosters will replace the P120C motors currently used on Ariane 6.<\/p>\n

The larger boosters will allow later Ariane 64 launches for Amazon Leo to carry additional satellites, although Cavaillol\u00e8s declined to say how many more. He said the upgraded boosters will provide 10% to 15% greater performance.<\/p>\n

Seeking more customers<\/p>\n

Cavaillol\u00e8s said the company\u2019s manifest for 2026 is full, but with some openings in 2027, when Arianespace expects to reach a peak Ariane 6 launch rate of 9 to 10 missions per year.<\/p>\n

That changes in after 2027. \u201cStarting in 2028 onwards, we have availability. We have quite a lot of availability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He pushed back against perceptions that Ariane 6 will be fully booked for years. \u201cSometimes in Europe I hear this idea that Ariane 6 will be fully booked for years and years,\u201d he said. \u201cI think this is a message that is spread by some people that, for one reason or another, would love to use a non-European launcher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the major opportunities Arianespace is pursuing is IRIS\u00b2, Europe\u2019s sovereign broadband constellation. Cavaillol\u00e8s said the company is reserving launch capacity beginning in 2029 to deploy the system, which he expects would require 10 to 15 launches over several years.<\/p>\n

However, he said key details about IRIS\u00b2 remain uncertain, including satellite size, quantity and deployment schedule. He expects more clarity after an upcoming \u201crendezvous meeting\u201d involving SpaceRise, the consortium leading IRIS\u00b2 development. \u201cI\u2019m really impatient to see the outcome of the rendezvous,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Another potential customer is the German military, which announced in September 2025 plans to invest 35 billion euros ($41 billion) in military space systems over five years<\/a>. That effort could include a communications constellation, although details remain unclear.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, we think that those projects fit well with our manifest,\u201d Cavaillol\u00e8s said, particularly if IRIS\u00b2 slips. \u201cWe think we can be the preferred partner to deploy the German project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cavaillol\u00e8s said there also remains interest from what was once Arianespace\u2019s major customer, operators of geostationary orbit communications satellites, one where demand has dropped significantly in recent years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see that this market is active,\u201d he said. \u201cLast year, many clients were waiting to see Ariane 6, to be confident enough to go for a deal. We think that, after the year that we delivered in 2025, we will be in good shape to capture this market.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that Arianespace could also support deployment of another large constellation later in the decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom 2028 onward, we have a lot of room,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can deploy a whole new constellation. We can stack 10 launchers to deploy a massive project.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think 2026 will be intense from a business development standpoint,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have launchers to be sold, we have a good product and I think we have very loyal clients.\u201d<\/p>\n

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