An artist’s rendering of Project Kuiper’s satellite processing facility in Florida.
Amazon
Amazon will invest $120 million to build a satellite processing facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the company prepares to launch the first satellites for its Project Kuiper Internet network, the tech giant announced Friday.
The facility will be built at the Launch and Landing Facility, where NASA Space Shuttle missions once landed. The LLF is now leased and operated by Space Florida, which serves as the development arm of the state’s space economy.
“I am thrilled that Amazon is the first major tenant to settle [at the LLF]Frank DiBello, CEO of Space Florida, told CNBC. “However, it is a testament to the fact that we view the entire state as an ecosystem that supports space.”
Project Kuiper is Amazon’s plan to build a network of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit, to provide high-speed Internet access anywhere in the world. The 100,000-square-foot processing facility will serve as one of the final steps before the satellites enter orbit, preparing them for launches on the United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin rockets, separately owned by Jeff Bezos.
“We will complete construction in late 2024. We will process our first production satellites through this facility in early 2025,” Steve Metayer, Amazon’s vice president of Kuiper manufacturing operations, told CNBC.
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Last year, Amazon announced the largest corporate rocket deal in industry history to launch its satellites. It has booked 77 launches – deals with options for more if needed – from various companies to deploy the satellites fast enough to meet regulatory requirements.
The “ultra-compact” version of the Project Kuiper
Amazon
Amazon hopes to launch its first two Kuiper prototype satellites “in the coming months,” the company said — but that depends on when the rocket the spacecraft would ride on is ready.
According to Metayer, Amazon still plans to fly the prototypes during the inaugural launch of ULA’s Vulcan rocket, which was recently pushed back to the fourth quarter. While Amazon “can work with” the new Vulcan timeline, Metayer said the company is “looking at all options available to us to get the prototypes to market in a timely manner.”
The Kuiper prototypes have moved rides once before, from ABL’s RS1 missile to Vulcan.
Project Kuiper currently employs more than 1,400 people, according to Amazon. The company’s main Kuiper facilities are located near Seattle, in the cities of Redmond and Kirkland. Amazon has other locations in San Diego, Austin, Texas, New York City, and Washington, DC
“We go where the talent is,” Metayer said.