Amazon surpasses 1,000 satellite production milestone for LEO network

Amazon has announced that its satellite manufacturing facility in Kirkland, Washington, has produced more than 1,000 satellites for its Amazon LEO (formerly Project Kuiper) constellation. While over 1,000 units have been manufactured, 396 satellites are currently operating in orbit.

To compete with SpaceX’s Starlink, Amazon plans to bundle satellite broadband internet with its Prime subscriptions and other consumer ecosystem services. The company aims to leverage its retail, streaming, and AWS platforms to reduce subscriber acquisition costs.

The Gen1 constellation architecture targets a total of 3,236 satellites operating at altitudes between 590 km and 630 km. To support deployment, Amazon has secured launch contracts with multiple providers, including United Launch Alliance, Arianespace, Blue Origin, and SpaceX. The company is also working through regulatory processes with the FCC regarding its deployment timelines.