Ula's Atlas V Rocket Set to Launch Amazon's Broadband Satellites

WHO:

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Hitachi Construction Machinery announced a deal with Amazon Leo on June 24 to deploy portable antennas at construction sites in the United Kingdom and Germany.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Hitachi Construction Machinery will deploy portable Amazon Leo antennas at construction sites in the United Kingdom and Germany beginning in 2026.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - United Launch Alliance (ULA) is launching the final Atlas 5 rocket.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Amazon Leo is the company for which the satellites are being launched.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Steven Metayer is the vice president of Production Operations at Amazon Leo.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Hitachi Construction Machinery is a corporate client of Amazon Leo.

WHAT:

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Amazon Leo has purchased 38 launches using ULA’s Vulcan rockets and 27 launches with Blue Origin’s New Glenn rockets, both of which remain grounded due to anomaly investigations.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Steven Metayer stated that there would be one more Ariane 6 launch supporting the constellation this year, but did not specify when in the next six months.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Atlas 5 rocket will launch 29 broadband internet satellites as part of the Atlas 5 Amazon Leo 8 mission, also referred to as Leo Atlas 8 (LA-08) by Amazon.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The 45th Weather Squadron forecast an 85 percent chance for favorable weather during the 29-minute launch window, with a small chance for interference from cumulus clouds.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - After the launch, there will be 396 Amazon Leo satellites in low Earth orbit, which is "enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes," according to Chris Weber, VP heading up business and product for Amazon Leo.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Amazon aims to roll out early commercial service by the end of the year, but hasn’t stated how many satellites will be needed to begin this initial offering.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The liftoff time for the Atlas 5 rocket has been updated to 12:30:15 a.m. EDT (0430:15 UTC).

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Atlas 5 rocket will be the 110th Atlas 5 rocket launched to date.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - There have been 22 Atlas 5 551 launches to date, with the first supporting NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto, which launched on January 19, 2006.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Atlas 5 Amazon Leo 8 mission is also referred to as Leo Atlas 8 (LA-08) by Amazon.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The 45th Weather Squadron forecast an 85 percent chance for favorable weather during the launch window.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Amazon Leo has reached 396 satellites in low Earth orbit, which is "enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes."

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Atlas 5 rocket will carry 29 broadband internet satellites as part of the Atlas 5 Amazon Leo 8 mission.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - This launch will be the final flight of an Atlas 5 rocket in the 551 configuration.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The rocket is designated AV-114 and will be the 110th Atlas 5 rocket launched.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - After the launch, there will be 396 Amazon Leo satellites in low Earth orbit.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Amazon Leo aims to roll out early commercial service by the end of the year.

WHERE:

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The launch will take place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The rocket will launch from Space Launch Complex 41.

WHEN:

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The first Vulcan flight of Amazon Leo satellites is expected to take place in the third quarter of 2026.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - There will be one more Ariane 6 launch supporting Amazon Leo's constellation this year, but the date is unspecified.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The first Vulcan flight of Amazon Leo satellites is expected to take place in the third quarter of 2026.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The countdown to launch began at 7:49 a.m. EDT on the day before the launch.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The first Vulcan flight of Amazon Leo satellites is expected to take place in the third quarter of 2026.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Liftoff is scheduled for 12:30:15 a.m. EDT.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Fuel loading on the Atlas booster began at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The first Vulcan flight of Amazon Leo satellites is expected to take place in the third quarter of 2026.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - There will be one more Ariane 6 launch supporting Amazon Leo's constellation this year, but the date is unspecified.

WHY:

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Amazon Leo's constellation of satellites is launched to space using a variety of launch providers, including ULA, Arianespace, and SpaceX.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - Amazon aims to roll out early commercial service by the end of the year, but hasn’t stated how many satellites will be needed to begin this initial offering.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The launch supports Amazon Leo's satellite constellation for broadband internet service.

HOW:

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Atlas 5 rocket was rolled to the launch pad at 10 a.m. EDT and was lowered onto the launch pad piers at 11:11 a.m. EDT.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Atlas 5 rocket is 205 feet tall and weighs 1.9 million pounds.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The rocket will fly on a north-easterly trajectory upon leaving the pad.

[12:14 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The 551 configuration includes a five-meter fairing, five solid rocket boosters, and two Centaur upper stage engines.

(UPDATED July 3, 2026 06:11 UTC)

Amazon Leo is gearing up for its first Vulcan flight of satellites, which is expected to take place in the third quarter of 2026. The company has secured 38 launches with ULA’s Vulcan rockets and 27 with Blue Origin’s New Glenn rockets, although both rocket systems are currently grounded due to ongoing anomaly investigations. Additionally, there will be one more Ariane 6 launch supporting Amazon Leo's constellation this year, but the specific date for that launch has not yet been announced.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 19:23 UTC)

The Atlas 5 rocket is set to launch 29 broadband internet satellites as part of the Amazon Leo 8 mission, also known as Leo Atlas 8. The 45th Weather Squadron has predicted an 85 percent chance of favorable weather during the 29-minute launch window, with only a slight chance of interference from cumulus clouds. Following this launch, Amazon will have a total of 396 Leo satellites in low Earth orbit, paving the way for early commercial service expected to begin by the end of the year.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 15:43 UTC)

The liftoff time for the Atlas 5 rocket has been updated to 12:30:15 a.m. EDT, marking it as the 110th Atlas 5 rocket launched to date. This particular rocket has a notable history, with 22 previous Atlas 5 551 launches, the first of which supported NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto back on January 19, 2006. Meanwhile, Amazon is preparing to roll out early commercial service by the end of the year, although the company has not disclosed how many satellites will be required for this initial offering.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 13:39 UTC)

Hitachi Construction Machinery has struck a deal with Amazon Leo to deploy portable antennas at construction sites in the UK and Germany, a partnership announced on June 24. The Atlas 5 Amazon Leo 8 mission, also known as Leo Atlas 8, is set for launch with an 85 percent chance of favorable weather, according to the 45th Weather Squadron. The countdown to launch began at 7:49 a.m. EDT the day before, with the Atlas 5 rocket being rolled to the launch pad at 10 a.m. and lowered onto the piers at 11:11 a.m. EDT.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 11:52 UTC)

Hitachi Construction Machinery will begin deploying portable Amazon Leo antennas at construction sites in the United Kingdom and Germany starting in 2026. Amazon Leo has successfully launched 396 satellites into low Earth orbit, providing enough coverage to support continuous service across initial latitudes. Additionally, the first Vulcan flight carrying Amazon Leo satellites is anticipated to occur in the third quarter of 2026.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 06:23 UTC)

United Launch Alliance is set to launch the final Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-114, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying 29 broadband internet satellites for Amazon Leo as part of the Atlas 5 Amazon Leo 8 mission. This launch will mark the 110th Atlas 5 rocket and the last flight of the 551 configuration, which features a five-meter fairing, five solid rocket boosters, and two Centaur upper stage engines. Following the launch, Amazon Leo will have a total of 396 satellites in low Earth orbit, with plans to roll out early commercial service by the end of the year.