Amazon’s Project Kuiper is set to open a new satellite-processing facility, located at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center.
Project Kuiper, seen as a potential rival to SpaceX’s Starlink, aims to deploy a low Earth orbit satellite network, to provide fast, affordable broadband to underserved communities worldwide.
The Florida facility will play an integral role in preparing and integrating Kuiper satellites with rockets from industry giants such as Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance (ULA), fueling anticipation for upcoming launches. The project represents an extension of Amazon’s commitment to driving innovation and job growth in the Sunshine State, and is expected to form part of a lucrative partnership with Space Florida’s Spaceport Improvement Program.
Steve Metayer, vice president of Kuiper Production Operations, commented, “We have an ambitious plan to begin Project Kuiper’s full-scale production launches and early customer pilots next year, and this new facility will play a critical role in helping us deliver on that timeline.”
The forthcoming satellite production process, set to begin in a cutting-edge manufacturing facility in Kirkland, Washington, will utilize the new Florida facility for final preparations and launch processes. A hefty investment of $120 million from Amazon will ensure the facility is equipped with state-of-the-art construction and high-value equipment, resulting in up to 50 new job opportunities for Space Coast residents.
Brian Huseman, Vice President of Public Policy and Community Engagement at Amazon, expressed his enthusiasm, “We are proud to continue our investment in Florida and to join the historic Space Coast community as we invest in people and facilities to support Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite broadband network.”
Frank DiBello, President and CEO of Space Florida, shared his excitement at the opportunities this collaboration offers, emphasizing, “We couldn’t be more thrilled that Project Kuiper chose Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility for this facility.”
Moreover, Amazon’s venture into the space industry has led to the procurement of 77 heavy-lift launch vehicles to deploy its satellite constellation, the majority of which will be supplied by U.S. launch providers Blue Origin and ULA, and launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This move will stimulate economic growth across the nation, supporting thousands of suppliers and highly skilled jobs across 49 states it says.
Amazon has also unveiled design, size, and performance details of its three customer terminals—the antennas Project Kuiper customers will use to receive service.
In the coming months, Amazon plans to launch two prototype satellites to test its network and subsystems. By 2024, production launches and early enterprise customer pilots are expected to commence.
Project Kuiper was first announced back in December 2020, but as Amazon seems to be finding out, launching a low-Earth satellite internet service is not easy.
