Europe’s most powerful rocket, the Ariane 64, successfully reached orbit on Wednesday, carrying 32 satellites for Amazon’s Leo broadband internet constellation, marking a significant milestone in the European space sector.
The launch took place at 16:45 UTC from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, with the mission lasting one hour and 54 minutes. This was the first commercial customer mission for the Ariane 6 rocket family, highlighting the rocket’s capabilities and versatility.
The Ariane 64 variant uses four P120C solid rocket boosters, doubling the payload capacity compared to the Ariane 62, which has completed five flights since Ariane 6’s debut in July 2024. The Ariane 64 can carry approximately 21.6 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, making it a significant asset for heavy-lift missions.
Standing 62 meters tall with a 20-meter fairing, the Ariane 64 became the tallest rocket in the Ariane 6 series. The European Space Agency confirmed that all 32 satellites separated successfully within 114 minutes of liftoff, demonstrating the rocket’s reliability and performance.
The mission, designated VA267 by Arianespace and LE-01 by Amazon, launches the first of 18 contracted Ariane 6 flights for the Leo constellation, previously known as Project Kuiper. This was the eighth launch overall for Amazon Leo, raising the total number of its satellites in orbit to 212.
Amazon Leo seeks to deliver high-speed internet to underserved regions worldwide, competing with SpaceX’s Starlink network, which operates about 8,000 satellites. Amazon has arranged more than 80 launches from providers including SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, and Arianespace, underscoring the scale and ambition of its satellite constellation project.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said, “With the powerful roar of four boosters at liftoff, comes more than double the payload mass to orbit, setting Europe back on stage for launching all satellites to all orbits.”
Arianespace CEO David Cavaillolès stated, “Today’s successful flight marks a major milestone for Arianespace, for our customer Amazon Leo and for the whole European space sector.”
