Amazon Invests Another $20M in Project Kuiper Satellite Project

Amazon is spending $19.5 million to expand Project Kuiper’s satellite-processing facility at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.

The additional investment comes atop $120 million the company has already spent on the facility, which will be used to assemble the loads of low-Earth-orbit satellites that will be launched in coming years. The 3,232-satellite constellation, similar to SpaceX’s Starlink network, will provide affordable broadband service to underserved communities around the world.

The primary, 100,000-square-foot facility at Kennedy will be used to prepare and integrate Kuiper satellites with their launch vehicles. Specifically, the satellites, which will be made at a facility in Kirkland, Washington, will be connected to custom dispensers that will be loaded onto launch vehicles.

Amazon has secured 80 heavy-lift launches with commercial launch providers Arianespace, Blue Origin, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA). It has options for additional launches with Blue Origin, which was started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The secondary facility that was just announced will encompass 42,000 square feet and be used to process and store flight hardware ahead of launch, Amazon said, adding that it will have temperature-controlled storage areas, maintenance bays, multipurpose workspaces and air-load-rigging capabilities for moving heavy equipment. Construction of the facility is expected to wrap up in 2025.

Related:Amazon Buys Three SpaceX Rocket Launches for Project Kuiper

"We are excited to expand our operations at the Kennedy Space Center with this new facility," said Steve Metayer, vice president of Project Kuiper production operations. "This investment underscores our commitment to Project Kuiper as we work towards providing high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to communities around the world. We’re proud of our continued partnership with Space Florida and look forward to adding more talent to our team at Cape Canaveral.”

Amazon is also making investments in infrastructure and service upgrades at Cape Canaveral as part of its launch agreement with ULA. The company is paying for a second ULA vertical integration facility dedicated to Project Kuiper launches. The new facility, which will open next year, will allow the launch company to keep up a higher tempo of launches by preparing for two missions at a time using its two launch lanes.

Project Kuiper, named for the Kuiper Belt of rock and ice in the outer Solar System, is expected to begin service in 2025.The company placed two prototype satellites in space last year and dubbed the test mission a complete success, with the team validating all systems and subsystems and facilitating the first two-way video call over the network.

Related:Amazon Satellite Test Mission a Success Ahead of 2024 Mass Deployment