Arianespace Ariane 6 Rocket Launch of Amazon Leo LE-02 Internet Satellites

Arianespace Ariane 6 Rocket Launch of Amazon Leo LE-02 Internet Satellites

On April 30, 2026, at 5:57 AM local time, Arianespace successfully launched 32 Amazon Leo satellites aboard Ariane 64—Ariane 6's four-booster version—from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellites were delivered with precision into low Earth orbit (LEO), at an altitude of approximately 465 km. The mission was completed as planned, lasting a total of 1 hour and 54 minutes from lift-off to the separation of the last satellites.

Designated VA268 by Arianespace and LE-02 by Amazon Leo, this mission was the second of 18 Ariane 6 launches planned for the deployment of the Amazon Leo constellation.

With this launch, Ariane 6, Europe's heavy-lift launcher, confirms its full operational capability. Equipped with four solid-propellant boosters, the launcher deployed 32 satellites in a complex sequence involving 12 separation phases, demonstrating its ability to meet the requirements of large-scale constellation missions. The satellites were accommodated under a 20-meter-long fairing, bringing the launcher's total height to approximately 62 meters.

This flight marks Ariane 6's seventh launch, and the second in its Ariane 64 configuration.

Mission VA268 is part of a series of 18 launches contracted to Arianespace for the deployment of the Amazon Leo constellation. Amazon Leo is Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite network, designed to deliver fast, reliable internet to communities currently beyond the reach of existing networks.

VA268 at a glance:
360th launch by Arianespace, 2nd Arianespace launch in 2026
32 Amazon Leo satellites deployed by mission VA268, 64 satellites deployed by Ariane 6 since the beginning of the campaign
7th Ariane 6 launch and 2nd launch of Ariane 64, its most powerful configuration
2nd Arianespace launch for Amazon Leo, as part of a series of 18

Image Credit: Arianespace
Release Date: April 30, 2026

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