Amazon signs launch deals with Arianespace, Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance for Project Kuiper
The retail giant has secured up to 83 rocket launches with the trio to deploy a bulk of its 3,262-satellite constellation

Arianespace, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have partnered with Amazon to support the latter’s Kuiper project, an initiative aimed at expanding global broadband access via a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
As part of the deal, the trio has agreed to provide heavy-lift launch services for up to 83 rocket launch events over five years, enabling Amazon to deploy a big slice of its 3,236-satellite constellation.
RELATED RESOURCE
Oracle autonomous database for dummies
Freedom from mundane, manual database management
FREE DOWNLOAD
Per reports, the retail giant’s agreement with Arianespace, Blue Origin, and ULA space firms marks the largest commercial procurement of launch vehicles in history.
Among the 83 proposed launches, Arianespace has contracted with Amazon for 18 launches using the firm’s Ariane 6 launcher to place the Kuiper constellation of satellites into orbit for broadband internet access.
Additionally, Blue Origin’s New Glenn and ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rockets are envisaged for Project Kuiper, with up to 12 and 38 launches respectively.
“Project Kuiper will provide fast, affordable broadband to tens of millions of customers in unserved and underserved communities around the world,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president for Amazon devices & services.
“We still have lots of work ahead, but the team has continued to hit milestone after milestone across every aspect of our satellite system. These launch agreements reflect our incredible commitment and belief in Project Kuiper, and we’re proud to be working with such an impressive lineup of partners to deliver on our mission,” added Limp.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Amazon’s contract with Arianespace, Blue Origin, and ULA is also set to boost job creation and innovation in the launch services industry across 49 states in the United States and 13 countries in Europe.
Amazon is also collaborating with Swiss-based satellite technology provider Beyond Gravity to build low-cost, scalable satellite dispensers that will assist with the deployment of the Kuiper constellation.
“Securing launch capacity from multiple providers has been a key part of our strategy from day one,” commented Rajeev Badyal, VP of technology for Project Kuiper at Amazon.
“This approach reduces risk associated with launch vehicle stand-downs and supports competitive long-term pricing for Amazon, producing cost savings that we can pass on to our customers. These large, heavy-lift rockets also mean we can deploy more of our constellation with fewer launches, helping simplify our launch and deployment schedule. We’re excited to move one step closer to connecting residential, business, and government customers around the world.”
-
LaunchDarkly to "double down" on observability with Highlight acquisition
News Highlight's observability tools will be integrated into LaunchDarkly's Guarded Releases software deployment service
By Daniel Todd
-
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review
Reviews The Tab S10 FE retains the feel and core capabilities of Samsung's high-end S10 tablets, but compromises on the display and the performance
By Stuart Andrews
-
AWS eyes ‘flexible’ data center expansion with $11bn Georgia investment
News The hyperscaler says the infrastructure will power cloud computing and AI growth
By Nicole Kobie
-
AWS launches Australia's first local zone for low-latency workloads and data residency
News The company is aiming to help customers who need infrastructure closer to their data sources or end-users
By Zach Marzouk
-
AWS plans to be 'water positive' by 2030
News A number of projects will seek to improve groundwater replenishment, efficiency, and overall sustainability
By Rory Bathgate
-
AWS to invest £1.8bn in UK data centres and other cloud infrastructure
News The cloud giant's investment will contribute to new data centres amid market growth across the country
By Connor Jones
-
Verizon and Amazon partner on enterprise connectivity solutions
News The collaboration links Verizon’s terrestrial mobile network with Amazon’s LEO satellite network
By Praharsha Anand
-
Alkira deepens partnership with AWS
News The firm also strengthened ties with AWS customer Warner Music Group
By Praharsha Anand
-
AWS makes Amazon Managed Service for Prometheus generally available
News The monitoring service integrates with open source Prometheus and is tailored for containerized applications
By Praharsha Anand
-
Infosys selects AWS to develop next-gen quantum computing applications
News The firm will leverage Amazon Braket to test novel quantum computing algorithms
By Praharsha Anand