The SpaceCom Column

We have numerous holiday traditions in modern society. We send packages to friends and family, we may put gift cards into a holiday mailing as a thank you for business or exceptional service, and vendors might send holiday baskets to clients and partners to show their appreciation and further bolster relationships. If there’s one company that deserves its share of holiday gift baskets in the space industry this year and the next few years from the public and private sectors, it’s Amazon Leo.  

How many commercial launch providers should be sending Leo love? The smallest package will be coming from SpaceX, with three flights completed in 2025 and no more currently manifested. With Starlink and Leo in head-to-head competition in 2026 and beyond for broadband services, buying more launch services from SpaceX would seem to be the definition of “frenemy.” But one should never say never, especially when a launch failure can derail a carefully timed campaign of missions. Maybe Leo should send a small gift basket to SpaceX just to cover their bets? 

One hopes that Arianespace spends well, given Amazon Leo’s commitment for 18 launches on the relatively new Ariane 6 rocket, a number that roughly equals all other launches on the new system for at least the next three to four years. A case of French wine and other fine European gourmet treats would not be inappropriate for this and subsequent holidays.  

Blue Origin may be the most conflicted holiday gift giver, as many confuse the publicly traded Amazon Leo with the privately-held launch provider, given both companies’ strong ties with founder Jeff Bezos. Does Blue treat Leo like any other customer or does Leo get jilted because of the self-dealing implications? I’d argue that Blue should send something, given that Leo is paying for 12 launches on New Glenn and options for another 15 additional launches. My suggestion would be to raid the Blue Origin shop for a couple of crates of hoodies and T-shirts swag, one crate going to Seattle and the other to Arlington/National Landing, Virginia, where Amazon works its U.S. government business. 

The biggest gift basket by far and renewable for many seasons to come should be from United Launch Alliance (ULA). It’s hard to imagine where ULA would be today without the Leo deal. With a commitment to a whopping 38 launches of Vulcan and nine Atlas V launches to close out the Atlas line on that storied vehicle, ULA should be sending a full line of swag, the finest gift baskets, cowboy hats and matching cowboy boots.  

(Of course, Blue Origin will be sending over its own gift baskets to ULA, since it is purchasing BE-4 engines for Vulcan and the company doesn’t seem to be any urgency to move into SMART reusability, but that’s a discussion for another day).  

In addition to launch providers, there are numerous aerospace subcontractors and suppliers that have benefited from Amazon Leo’s largess in building a second large-scale broadband satellite constellation delivering turnkey internet service, many to most of whom will remain unheralded due to NDAs and discreet purchase agreements. I’m suspect Seattle delivery services will be busy bringing their thanks.  

And let’s not forget perhaps the biggest secondary beneficiary of Amazon Leo’s launch operations, Uncle Sam. Providing sustainable, long-term commercial business contracts to Blue Origin and ULA enables both those firms to invest in people and processes to streamline operations and take advantages of economies of scale – in ULA Vulcan’s case, massive economics of scale – thereby lowering the overall cost of launch and providing diverse and more affordable launch alternatives for the Department of Defense and NASA.  

Here's to you, Amazon, for an investment that will pay shareholders dividends in the future and one that is backing the world’s launch industry today. May you see a successful service launch in 2026 and health growth in the years that follow! 

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