Ariane 6 launches 36 Amazon Leo satellites on June 17, heaviest payload in Ariane history, debuting P160C boosters
Amazon $AMZN is racing to beam internet from orbit, and its biggest single lift yet just flew. Europe's Ariane 6 launched 36 Amazon Leo satellites on June 17, the heaviest payload an Ariane rocket has ever carried, debuting four upgraded P160C boosters. Amazon's third Ariane laun
Amazon $AMZN is racing to beam internet from orbit, and its biggest single lift yet just flew. On June 17, Europe's Ariane 6 rocket launched 36 Amazon Leo satellites, the heaviest payload an Ariane launcher has ever carried. The mission, designated VA269 by Arianespace and LE-03 by Amazon, marked the first flight of the Ariane 64 variant fitted with four upgraded P160C solid-propellant boosters. The new boosters are about a meter longer than the previous P120C version, giving the launcher extra performance and letting it carry four more satellites than the two earlier missions in the series. This was the third Ariane launch of the year for Amazon's low-orbit internet constellation, which is building out a network of satellites to deliver broadband from space and compete with established providers. According to Arianespace, the flight demonstrates how quickly Europe's heavy-lift launcher is being upgraded less than two years after its first flight.