Amazon Has Won Approval for 4,500 More Internet Satellites as it Races SpaceX

The expanded constellation could swell to about 7,700 satellites, intensifying competition in the fast-growing space broadband market

The Federal Communications Commission has approved Amazon’s request to deploy 4,500 additional low Earth orbit internet satellites, expanding the company’s planned network as it seeks to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The authorization increases Amazon’s projected constellation to roughly 7,700 satellites. The company has already launched more than 150 satellites since April using multiple rocket providers and plans to begin offering satellite internet through its Leo service later this year. The project was first announced in 2019.

The newly approved satellites represent Amazon’s second generation of orbital systems and will operate at altitudes of up to about 400 miles, according to the FCC notice. They are expected to support additional frequency bands and broaden Leo’s geographic coverage.

Regulators require Amazon to launch 50% of the approved satellites by Feb. 10, 2032, with the remaining half due by Feb. 10, 2035.

Amazon is also working against a separate FCC deadline to deploy 1,600 first-generation satellites before July 2026. Last month, the company asked the agency to extend the cutoff to July 2028 or waive it entirely, citing factors beyond its control. The FCC has not yet ruled on that request.

The company pointed to a near-term shortage of rockets as a key reason it may struggle to meet the earlier deadline, writing that Leo is “producing satellites considerably faster than others can launch them.”

Amazon has invested $10 billion to build its space-based internet service and expects to spend another $1 billion this year as deployment accelerates. Finance chief Brian Olsavsky said in the company’s latest quarterly report that Amazon has more than 20 launches planned for 2026 and more than 30 in 2027.

The next Leo mission is scheduled for Thursday, when an Arianespace rocket will carry another 32 satellites into orbit. Amazon has booked 17 additional missions with the French launch provider.

Leo is shaping up as a direct rival to SpaceX’s Starlink, which already has more than 9,000 satellites in orbit and roughly 9 million customers, underscoring the escalating battle to dominate broadband from space.

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