Amazon has hundreds of satellites ready, but only Europe has delivered launches so far
Amazon's VP says hundreds of flight-ready satellites are waiting in Florida, but only Arianespace has launched them, while New Glenn and Vulcan lag behind.
Amazon now has hundreds of flight-ready satellites sitting idle in Florida, waiting for launch, according to Steve Metayer, vice president of Amazon LEO Production Operations. He said the company is manufacturing several satellites per day. Most of the 331 already-launched satellites flew on ULA's Atlas V rockets, but only one more Atlas V mission remains. Four years ago, Amazon booked launches on three new heavy rockets: 18 on Ariane 6, 12 on Blue Origin's New Glenn (with options for 15 more), and 38 on ULA's Vulcan. However, only Arianespace has delivered so far, with two launches this year, another set for Wednesday, and more planned. Neither New Glenn nor Vulcan have launched any Amazon satellites yet. Metayer praised Arianespace for reliability and said the company looks forward to its remaining 16 launches under the existing contract.
