Amazon's Starlink alternative 'Leo' announces rescheduled launch date
Amazon’s space-internet initiative, Leo is expected to 'launch in mid-2026'
The CEO of Amazon, Andy Jassy, has announced that Amazon’s space-internet initiative, Leo (previously Project Kuiper), is expected to “launch in mid-2026.”
This implies it will be commercially available at that time, following the “enterprise preview” set for late 2025, which was initially the intended launch period.
Unlike SpaceX’s Starlink, Amazon hasn’t yet established its own group of rockets to frequently deliver Leo satellites into lower-Earth orbit.
It relies on various launch partners, such as SpaceX, until Jeff Bezos's reusable New Glenn rocket becomes fully operational.
Amazon has the go-ahead from the FCC to deploy 3,236 Leo satellites, but has only succeeded in launching 241 so far, missing its target of deploying half of its satellite network (1,618) by July 2026.
Consequently, Amazon has had to ask FCC Chair Brendan Carr for more time. In contrast, SpaceX’s active Starlink satellite network exceeds 10,000 satellites.
When the Leo service eventually rolls out, Jassy promises it will be faster than current offerings and cheaper, plus it'll be seamlessly integrated with AWS, enabling businesses and governments to “transfer data for storage, analysis, and AI.”
Though it's behind schedule, many people, businesses, and countries are waiting for an alternative to Elon Musk that can be set up quickly and affordably to improve global data coverage, even if they end up choosing another complex billionaire.