An Ariane 6 rocket lifting off from Kourou in white smoke and orange flame, framed by the towers of the launch pad

Tech 11 September 2026

Amazon just bought six more Ariane 6 flights, taking its European order to 24

The Amazon Leo contract with Arianespace grows from 18 to 24 launches through 2031, with the new flights starting in 2029 on the heavier Ariane 64. Three missions have already put 100 satellites in orbit this year.

Amazon has ordered six more launches from Arianespace, lifting the total number of contracted Ariane 6 flights for its Amazon Leo constellation from 18 to 24. The added flights begin in 2029 on the higher-capacity Ariane 64, and the programme now runs to 2031.

It is the largest commercial contract in Arianespace’s history, and Amazon Leo is its single biggest customer. That tells you something about where the money in European spaceflight currently sits: not in science missions, but in low-earth-orbit internet constellations.

What has flown so far this year

Three missions in under five months have placed 100 satellites in orbit. LE-01 launched on 12 February with 32 satellites, LE-02 on 30 April with another 32, and LE-03 on 17 June with 36, using upgraded P160C boosters that made room for the extra four.

That last figure is the technical detail worth holding on to. Every additional satellite per flight cuts the number of flights required, and cost per satellite is precisely the ground on which this constellation has to compete with an American rival flying reusable rockets.

Why it matters from here

Oxford Economics estimates the associated EU spending contributes 2.8 billion euros to GDP and supports an average of 3,270 jobs a year through 2029. That money lands in factories, laboratories and French Guiana.

Portugal watches this market from a narrower angle. On Santa Maria in the Azores, the spaceport is being readied for small launches, a different segment from Ariane 6 but one riding the same European appetite for independent access to orbit. The more flights Europe buys from itself, the easier it becomes to justify infrastructure out at the edge of the continent.

By Oliver Grant

Image: Amazon Leo / Arianespace (Amazon press room)

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Tech 19 September 2026

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Tech 18 September 2026

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Tech 17 September 2026

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Chart showing the split of fixed broadband accesses in Portugal by speed in the second quarter of 2026

Tech 11 September 2026

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Tech 10 September 2026

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Tech 8 September 2026

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Tech 3 September 2026

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Tech 2 September 2026

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Tech 1 September 2026

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Tech 30 August 2026

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