An Atlas V rocket successfully lifted off from Florida at 12:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, carrying 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites into low Earth orbit. The rocket followed a north-easterly flight path, while mission teams confirmed the launch proceeded as planned, marking another important step in Amazon’s effort to build a global broadband satellite network.
Following the launch, United Launch Alliance confirmed that all 29 satellites were successfully deployed into low Earth orbit. Moreover, this mission, known as Amazon Leo 8 or LA-08, became the eighth Atlas V flight supporting the company’s satellite programme. The achievement also maintained the rocket’s perfect success record in launching Amazon’s broadband satellites.
Amazon Leo Director of Launch Systems Melissa Wuerl praised the Atlas V rocket for its role during the programme’s early deployment phase. She said the vehicle has now launched 224 Amazon satellites across eight missions with a 100% success rate. This consistent performance has helped Amazon expand its growing satellite network with confidence.
Meanwhile, the Atlas V rocket fleet continues to shrink as only six rockets remain available. All of those vehicles have already been assigned to future Boeing Starliner missions, making Thursday’s launch another milestone before the rocket gradually retires. As a result, Amazon will increasingly depend on other launch providers for future satellite deployments.
Amazon plans to build a mega constellation of nearly 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit to deliver high-speed internet services worldwide. So far, more than 4,100 Amazon Leo satellites have reached orbit through 15 missions using Atlas V, SpaceX Falcon 9 and Ariane 6 rockets. The project is designed to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink network, which currently has around 11,000 satellites operating in orbit.