Arianespace

Ariane 64 Maiden Launch — LE-01 Deploys 32 Amazon Leo Satellites, Europe's Heaviest Payload to Orbit

Arianespace launched the Ariane 64 for the first time on February 12, 2026 (VA267 / LE-01), deploying 32 Amazon Leo satellites from Kourou, French Guiana. The four P120C booster configuration carried ~20 metric tons — the heaviest payload ever lifted by a European launch vehicle and double the Ariane 62's LEO capacity. The mission is the first of 18 contracted Ariane 6 launches for Amazon Leo (the largest Arianespace commercial contract ever). Total Amazon Leo constellation: 212 satellites after this flight. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher: "Europe's fleet of rockets is now complete." Amazon Leo VP Rajeev Badyal: "Three new heavy-lift rockets joining our manifest this year."