Amazon successfully deployed 29 satellites via a ULA Atlas V rocket launched from Cape Canaveral on July 2. This mission brings the company's total orbital count to over 390 satellites. Engineers have already established contact with the new hardware, confirming they are functional as they begin raising to an operational altitude of 392 miles.

Chris Weber, Amazon Leo VP, confirmed this constellation size provides enough coverage for continuous service across initial latitudes. While the Atlas V has completed its role for this project, the company will transition to the heavier Vulcan vehicle for future launches. This shift aims to increase deployment speed and capacity through more frequent, larger-scale missions.

Despite this progress, Amazon faces a massive gap when compared to Starlink, which currently operates over 10,000 satellites. To close this distance, Amazon intends to utilize Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket to carry more than 48 satellites per flight. The company expects to begin its initial service rollout later this year.