A Falcon 9 launches a set of Project Kuiper satellites Aug. 11. Credit: SpaceX
WASHINGTON — Amazon has purchased an additional 10 Falcon 9 launches from SpaceX as part of its efforts to accelerate deployment of its broadband satellite constellation.
The deal, which neither Amazon nor SpaceX previously announced, was disclosed in an Amazon filing with the Federal Communications Commission on Jan. 30 seeking an extension of a July deadline to deploy half of its Amazon Leo constellation.
Under the FCC authorization granted in 2020, Amazon has until July 30, 2026, to launch half of its planned 3,232 satellites, with the remainder required to be deployed three years later. As of late January, six months before the first deadline, the company had launched only 180 spacecraft.
In its filing, Amazon asked the FCC to either extend the deadline for deploying half of the constellation by two years or waive it entirely, citing progress in satellite manufacturing and launch contracting. The company did not request an extension of the 2029 deadline for full deployment, stating it expects to have the entire constellation in orbit by then.
