ULA lofts 29 Amazon Leo satellites on the final booked Atlas 5

The launch

United Launch Alliance flew an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral in late May 2026 carrying 29 Amazon Leo broadband satellites. The mission, known as LA-07, was originally scheduled for May 22 and flew about a week later, according to launch schedules. Early write-ups described it as the last Atlas V that Amazon had booked, but that was not correct: one more Amazon Atlas V mission, LA-08, followed on July 2, 2026, also with 29 satellites.

Where the constellation stood

After the April 27 launch of LA-06, ULA said it had delivered 168 Amazon Leo satellites. Amazon's constellation was then about 270 satellites including earlier prototypes, and its full plan calls for roughly 3,236 satellites. Amazon also buys launches from Arianespace (Ariane 6) and SpaceX (Falcon 9), so no single rocket carries the whole network.

What happens to Atlas V

With LA-08, Amazon's Atlas V contract was complete. The remaining Atlas V rockets, six in total, are reserved for Boeing's Starliner crew capsule. ULA's next launches are planned on the newer Vulcan Centaur rocket, starting in September 2026.

Why it matters

• Deployment speed. Amazon needs hundreds of satellites in orbit to offer service, and regulators set deadlines for deploying part of the constellation.
• Rocket transition. The industry is moving from older expendable vehicles to newer, often reusable ones.
• Competition. SpaceX's Starlink is far ahead on satellite count and launch frequency, as covered in our report on its 50th Starlink mission of the year.

Why the count confused people

Launch numbers get muddled because Amazon labels missions with its own names (LA-06, LA-07, LA-08), ULA calls them Leo missions, and early prototypes flew on other rockets. When you see a claim that a flight is the last one, check the mission code and the date, since schedules shifted by days and weeks during the spring.

What to watch

Watch how quickly Vulcan and Ariane 6 launches fill the gap, how soon Amazon starts commercial service, and whether launch supply keeps up with satellite production. Sources count the Atlas V flights for Amazon differently, so launch numbers should be checked against ULA's own mission pages.