# Amazon Leo passes 350 satellites as FCC waives, then penalises, the half-deploy deadline
> Third-largest constellation, beta in five countries late 2026, but spectral priority demoted for slow build

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-06-17 · heads: 长远之局, 谁的钱 · 8 takes · 3 lenses · 2 regions

## Summary

Amazon's [Amazon Leo](/zh/entity/kuiper) (formerly Project Kuiper) has passed ~350 production satellites
across 18+ missions, the third-largest constellation behind [Starlink](/zh/n/starlink-mobile-25m-2026)
and OneWeb. June 2026 brought its largest batch yet, 36 satellites on an [Ariane 6](/zh/n/ariane6-kuiper-cadence-2026)
from Kourou. But deployment is behind: the [FCC](/zh/entity/fcc) waived the July 2026 deadline to launch half
the ~3,200-satellite constellation, while warning it will demote the spectral priority of
satellites launched after that milestone until Amazon builds faster. Amazon plans beta service in
five countries in late 2026 or early 2027, once roughly 578 satellites provide initial coverage.
The pace lag matters because [Starlink](/zh/n/starlink-mobile-25m-2026) and [China's](/zh/n/china-megaconstellation-batches-2026)
constellations are filling the same orbits and spectrum first.

## By the numbers

- ~350, production satellites in orbit across 18+ missions.
- 36, largest single batch, on Ariane 6 (June 2026).
- 578, satellites needed for initial beta coverage.
- ~3,200, total Gen-1 constellation; half-deploy deadline waived but penalised.

## Why it matters

Amazon has the capital and launch contracts but is years behind Starlink. The FCC's
priority-demotion lever shows regulators using spectrum status to force pace, and a slow build
risks ceding orbital slots and customers to [Starlink](/zh/n/starlink-mobile-25m-2026) and
[China](/zh/n/china-megaconstellation-batches-2026) before Leo is even operational.

## What to watch

- Whether Amazon's launch rate climbs enough to restore spectral priority.
- The first beta countries and service quality vs Starlink.
- Ariane 6 / Atlas V / Vulcan throughput against the manifest.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### unlabelled
- **Amazon (Leo mission updates)** (United States, en) — Amazon's official Leo (ex-Project Kuiper) progress page, satellite counts, the record 36-satellite Ariane 6 launch, and the manifest of upcoming Atlas V / Ariane / Vulcan flights.
  Source: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/innovation-at-amazon/project-kuiper-satellite-rocket-launch-progress-updates
- **Spaceflight Now** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/09/25/live-coverage-ula-to-launch-fifth-batch-of-amazons-project-kuiper-satellites-from-cape-canaveral/
- **Wikipedia (Amazon Leo)** (Global, en) — 
  Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Leo
- **Orbital Radar** (Global, en) — 
  Source: https://orbitalradar.com/how-many-kuiper-satellites
- **eoPortal** (Global, en) — 
  Source: https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/projectkuiper
- **AmericaSpace** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://www.americaspace.com/2025/07/16/amazon-begins-project-kuiper-deployment/

### US broadband-policy
- **Broadband Breakfast** (United States, en) — Tracks Leo's deployment cadence and the FCC milestone pressure: the regulator waived the July 2026 half-constellation deadline but said it will demote the spectral priority of later satellites until Amazon builds faster.
  > "The FCC waived the half-deploy deadline but will demote later satellites' spectral priority until Amazon accelerates."
  Source: https://broadbandbreakfast.com/amazons-project-kuiper-reaches-153-satellites-after-latest-24-satellite-launch/

### consumer-broadband
- **HighSpeedInternet.com** (United States, en) — Consumer-facing read on Leo's timeline, beta in five countries late-2026/early-2027 once ~578 satellites are up, the demand-side check on Amazon's pace versus Starlink's incumbency.
  > "Amazon plans beta service in five countries late 2026, pending the ~578 satellites needed for initial coverage."
  Source: https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/when-will-project-kuiper-be-available

## Across the graph
- Related: [[ariane6-kuiper-cadence-2026]], [[starlink-mobile-25m-2026]], [[china-megaconstellation-batches-2026]]
- Entities: Kuiper, Amazon, United States, Fcc, Europe Launch

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/zh/n/kuiper-leo-367-satellites-2026