Amazon’s Project Kuiper is taking significant strides towards establishing its low Earth orbit satellite network to rival SpaceX’s Starlink. A new satellite-processing facility is under construction at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, marking a substantial long-term investment in the project.
This move brings Project Kuiper a step closer to deploying its full satellite constellation, aimed at providing fast, affordable broadband to underserved communities worldwide. The new facility will play a pivotal role in the project, preparing and integrating Kuiper satellites with rockets from Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance (ULA), in line with the anticipated partnership with Space Florida’s Spaceport Improvement Program.
This initiative matches investments to enhance critical spaceport infrastructure, with Amazon’s investment stimulating innovation and job growth in Florida.
Steve Metayer, Vice President of Kuiper Production Operations, highlighted the project’s ambitious plans. “We aim to begin Project Kuiper’s full-scale production launches and early customer pilots next year, and this new facility will be crucial in meeting that timeline,” he said.
Amazon has pledged to invest $120 million in the new facility, and estimates it will create up to 50 new jobs on the Space Coast. The facility, part of Project Kuiper’s commitment to innovation, will be used for the design and development of prototype and production satellites and their commercial deployment.
Amazon’s investments in the U.S. space and satellite industry, particularly in Florida, show its commitment to advancing Project Kuiper, its satellite broadband network. The company has secured 77 heavy-lift launch vehicles for its satellite constellation, predominantly from U.S. launch providers Blue Origin and ULA.
These agreements will support suppliers and highly skilled jobs across 49 states, with significant investments made in Alabama, Florida, and Colorado. Amazon’s partnership with ULA also supports infrastructure and service upgrades at Cape Canaveral, benefitting other commercial and government customers launching from Florida.
Project Kuiper comprises more than 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit and high-performance customer terminals, all backed by Amazon Web Services. The company plans to launch two prototype satellites soon to test the network and subsystems, with production launches and early enterprise customer pilots expected to start in 2024.
Over 1,400 people across the U.S. are currently working on Project Kuiper, and the company continues to hire across a range of roles. This initiative presents an opportunity to join an ambitious project at the forefront of the space industry, aimed at making a significant difference in global connectivity.
