Europe's powerful Ariane 6 rocket launches 32 Amazon internet satellites to orbit

PARIS: An Ariane 6 heavy lifter topped with 32 Amazon Leo satellites launched from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on Thursday (April 30, 2026), at 4:57 a.m. EDT (0857 GMT; 5:57 am local time in Kourou).

All the satellites had deployed by an hour and 54 minutes after liftoff as planned, according to Arianespace, the French company that operates the Ariane 6.

Thursday's mission, which Arianespace calls VA268, was the seventh-ever flight of the Ariane 6 and the second of its most powerful variant, known as the 64, because it features four strap-on solid rocket boosters.

Amazon booked a total of 18 Ariane 6 flights for the constellation buildout.