Amazon manufactures its 1,000th Leo satellite and prepares new launches — Ars Technica
Amazon has manufactured the 1,000th satellite for its Leo low-Earth-orbit broadband internet network at its facility in Kirkland, Washington. The company is also preparing to launch the next batch of spacecraft on a Vulcan rocket and later conduct a launch involving Arianespace, Ars Technica reports.
Satellite production
Project head Rajeev Badyal said Amazon spent six months producing its first 27 satellites. Now, according to him, the company can manufacture 27 spacecraft each week. He added that the satellites were designed for mass production, while the company continued to improve the design, quality control, and staff training.
Manufacturing director Paul Palchisko said Amazon transformed an empty 170,000-square-foot building into a satellite factory in 15 months. Work began after December 2022. Manufacturing, testing, and preparing one satellite for shipment take several weeks. The company independently designs and produces, among other things, the spacecraft propulsion system.
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Launches and service provision
According to Badyal, the launch of Leo satellites on a Vulcan rocket is expected in several weeks. Another Vulcan is being prepared for an Amazon mission this year, while United Launch Alliance infrastructure allows two rockets to be prepared simultaneously for the company’s missions. Amazon has also signed launch agreements with Blue Origin, Arianespace, and SpaceX.
Amazon Vice President Chris Weber said that 396 Leo satellites are in orbit and are still being moved into their final positions. Badyal said this number is already sufficient to begin serving customers, while upcoming launches are expected to expand coverage and improve network resilience. According to Weber, the start of service is planned for 2026.
For businesses and government entities, Amazon says it can provide download speeds of up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds of up to 400 Mbps. Weber also listed AES-256 encryption, private network connectivity, and service-level agreements among the advantages.
