Ariane 64 B2 • Amazon Leo

Ariane 64 B2 • Amazon Leo

Arianespace will launch an Ariane 6 rocket, on a flight designated VA271, to put a batch of 36 operational satellites for the Amazon Leo constellation into orbit. The mission is known as LE-03 by Amazon. Ariane 6 will fly in the Ariane 64 Block 2 configuration for the first time, using 4 P160C rocket boosters and a long fairing. - Operational satellites of the Amazon Leo constellation (formerly known as Project Kuiper) are a significant upgrade from the two prototype satellites of the Kuiper Protoflight mission. The ~572kg satellites are equipped with Hall-effect thruster technology for propulsion. They feature improved systems and sub-systems on board, including phased array antennas, processors, solar arrays, propulsion systems, and optical inter-satellite links. In addition, the satellites are coated in a dielectric mirror film unique to Amazon Leo that scatters reflected sunlight to help make them less visible to ground-based astronomers. Amazon Leo is planned to work in concert with Amazon's network of 12 satellite ground station facilities. In addition to connecting to ground stations, satellites will interconnect via optical infrared laser connections. Amazon refers to this technology as OISL (optical inter-satellite link). The Amazon Leo constellation is planned to consist of 3236 satellites operating in 98 orbital planes in three orbital shells, one each at 590km, 610km and 630km orbital altitude. Kuiper satellites will fly in mid-inclination orbits, enabling Internet service for customers between 56 degrees north and south latitude. Phase 1 of deployment will be 578 satellites at 630km altitude and an orbital inclination of 51.9 degrees. A total of five phases of constellation development are planned. Webcast: https://www.arianespace.com/road-to-space/

📍 ELA4 (l'Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 6) - Centre Spatial Guyanais, Französisch-Guyana

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