SpaceX Gears Up for Next-Gen Starlink While Amazon’s Rival Service Faces Delays

SpaceX is set for a groundbreaking launch today that will undoubtedly catch the attention of Amazon. If all goes well, SpaceX will deploy its first batch of Starlink V3 satellites, which come with significant enhancements to the growing Starlink network. A total of 26 satellites will be launched aboard the Starship, marking its first attempt to reach Earth orbit. This mission comes at a time when Amazon is facing ongoing challenges with its launch partners, which are delaying its own Leo satellite deployment and pushing it further behind in the race to compete with Elon Musk’s space-based internet service.

It has been 12 weeks since Amazon last successfully launched Leo satellites, sending 29 into orbit on July 2 aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. This brings the total number of Leo satellites launched to 396, a stark contrast to the over 11,000 satellites currently operational in the Starlink fleet, including 552 that have been launched since July 2. Following that launch, Amazon’s Leo launch systems director, Melissa Wuerl, expressed confidence in a “clear path to increase launch and deployment cadence,” but progress has evidently stalled.

The setbacks are largely attributed to issues affecting Leo’s launch partners. Vulcan, the ULA rocket set to replace the soon-to-be-retired Atlas V, has been grounded by the US Space Force since February 2026 due to a booster anomaly that is still under investigation. Similarly, Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, is contracted to launch Leo satellites, but its New Glenn rocket has been sidelined since its launchpad was destroyed in May.

Earlier this month, Amazon revealed it had secured six additional launches with Arianespace’s A64 heavy-lift rocket, increasing its total contracted launches from 18 to 24. However, this too is facing delays due to issues with an unspecified component of the Ariane 6, which is expected to disrupt launches “for the remainder of 2026.” A previous plan to launch 36 Leo satellites aboard Ariane 64 in October has since been removed from the European spaceport’s schedule.

This situation raises the question: When will Amazon be able to expand its Leo constellation? The service is still in its infancy and has already received an extension on its FCC deadline to launch half of its planned 3,232 satellites, with the stipulation that the company must act swiftly. Amazon has indicated that the nearly 400 satellites currently in operation are sufficient to activate a limited version of its internet service, but the “mid-2026” target for commercial availability has come and gone without any updates. At this pace, it may take years for Leo to become a serious contender against Starlink on a global scale.