Amazon builds its 1,000th low-Earth orbit satellite and prepares to launch commercial space internet service.

Amazon has built its 1,000th low-Earth orbit broadband satellite and is weeks away from launching its commercial space internet service, according to company officials. The project operates out of a 170,000-square-foot factory in Kirkland, Washington, which was converted from an empty building in 2022. Company executives said it takes one to two weeks to build and test a satellite, matching production to their launch schedules.

Amazon uses custom components built in-house, such as its propulsion system, and blends traditional aerospace testing with high-volume consumer electronics testing methods to reduce testing times from weeks to hours. The development brings a major new competitor to a satellite internet market largely dominated by SpaceX's Starlink. Amazon plans to launch its initial service using roughly 400 satellites currently in orbit, and executives confirmed that upcoming Vulcan rocket missions will carry additional Amazon Leo satellites.

While the company has secured major agreements—including a contract with Delta Airlines—executives noted that scaling manufacturing and managing launch vehicle delays from various partners have presented ongoing challenges. The planned first-generation constellation will ultimately include 3,232 satellites.