Ariane 6 to launch 36 Amazon Leo satellites weighing 20.82t
Ariane 6 is gearing up for its biggest mission yet on June 17, 2026, sending 36 Amazon Leo satellites (formerly Project Kuiper) into orbit from French Guiana.
This marks the heaviest payload ever launched by an Ariane rocket, with the satellites weighing in at 20.82 metric tons.
It's a step up from previous launches that carried just 32 satellites.
P160C boosters increase Ariane 6 capacity
This flight uses upgraded P160C solid boosters, letting Ariane 6 carry even more weight to low Earth orbit.
All 36 satellites will be released about one hour and 51 minutes after liftoff, at an altitude of roughly 465km above Earth.
Amazon Leo is building a huge network, over 3,200 satellites, to bring broadband internet worldwide.
If you're curious, you can catch the launch live at 7:00am EDT on Arianespace's stream!