European company Arianespace has officially announced that next February will mark a pivotal moment in the history of the European space sector, with the planned launch of 32 satellites as part of Amazon's Kuiper project aboard the new Ariane 6 rocket. This launch marks the beginning of a new phase of commercial operations for the giant European rocket.
Mission details and technical capabilities
David Cavayolis, CEO of Arianespace, explained that this mission will be the first time the Ariane 6 rocket has been used for a purely commercial customer, after its four previous flights in 2025 were limited to corporate missions for European government and military entities. Cavayolis indicated that the company aims to conduct between seven and eight space missions this year, double the rate achieved last year, reflecting growing confidence in the new rocket's capabilities.
Technically, this mission will see a qualitative upgrade, as the rocket will be equipped for the first time with four booster engines, the version known as A64, doubling its capacity to transport payloads to orbit to 21.6 tons, which is necessary to transport the large number of Amazon satellites at once.
The context of Project Kuiper and global competition
This operation holds significant strategic importance in the "space internet" race. Project Kuiper, funded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, aims to deploy a constellation of over 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit to provide high-speed internet service worldwide. Currently, the project has approximately 150 satellites in orbit, and this deployment is a crucial step to catch up with its fierce competitor, SpaceX's Starlink, which already has over 6,000 operational satellites.
The strategic importance of Europe
From a geopolitical and economic perspective, the success of this mission represents a strong return for Europe to the commercial satellite launch market, following a period of challenges and delays in the development of Ariane 6 after the retirement of its predecessor, Ariane 5. Amazon's choice of the European rocket is part of a diversification strategy to ensure its satellites reach space via multiple vehicles, rather than relying solely on a single provider, thus reinforcing Arianespace's position as a key and reliable player in this vital and growing sector.
