tech
Among the large new rockets Amazon was counting on, only Europe has delivered
"As for Arianespace, they have definitely stepped up."
TL;DR
- Amazon has hundreds of flight-ready satellites ready for launch into low-Earth orbit.
- A launch bottleneck is delaying the deployment of Amazon's planned 3,236 satellite constellation, with only about 10% deployed so far.
- Arianespace is a reliable partner, having launched Amazon satellites on Ariane 6 rockets and is contracted for 16 more launches.
- Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket experienced an explosion during a test firing, damaging its launch pad and potentially impacting its BE-4 engine, which also powers ULA's Vulcan rocket.
- Despite setbacks with New Glenn and Vulcan, Amazon plans to begin commercial service with its satellite constellation later this year.
- Amazon has a diversified launch portfolio to mitigate risks from individual rocket providers.