Amazon is investing $178 million in building a satellite processing facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its ambitious Kuiper internet project. The facility, covering 100,000 square feet, will be the final destination for Amazon’s Kuiper satellites before they are launched into space. The Kuiper project aims to create a network of 3200 low Earth-orbiting satellites to provide global broadband internet service, competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink from SpaceX.
The Florida facility will employ 50 staff and will be responsible for integrating the satellites into rocket payload fairings before launch. The facility’s construction began in January, and it is expected to be completed by late 2024. The first batch of satellites is targeted to be processed at the facility in the first half of 2025. Amazon plans to launch its first mass-produced satellites by early 2024 and aims to deploy half of the network into orbit by 2026, following regulatory requirements.
To support its satellite launches, Amazon has secured 77 heavy-lift rocket launch contracts, mainly from United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin. The company also plans to test the service with corporate and government customers beginning in 2024. The Kuiper project is a significant part of Amazon’s broader ambitions to expand its web services and provide global connectivity.
