Amazon is upping its game in the satellite industry as it aims to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink. The company has announced plans to build a $120 million facility for its Project Kuiper satellites in the US.
Project Kuiper is inching closer to deploying its full satellite constellation, with construction underway on a new satellite-processing facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This facility will be used to prepare and integrate Kuiper satellites with rockets from Blue Origin, the space company owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, as well as United Launch Alliance (ULA).
Steve Metayer, vice president of Kuiper Production Operations, expressed the company’s ambitious plan to begin full-scale production launches and early customer pilots for Project Kuiper next year. The new facility will play a vital role in helping Amazon deliver on its timeline.
In the coming months, Amazon plans to launch two prototype satellites to test its network and subsystems. Production launches and early enterprise customer pilots are expected to begin in 2024.
Apart from Florida, the project will also have a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kirkland, Washington, where satellite production will start by the end of this year. Amazon will invest $120 million in new construction and high-value equipment for the Washington facility, creating up to 50 new jobs in the process.
Brian Huseman, vice president of public policy and community engagement at Amazon, emphasized the company’s commitment to investing in Florida and joining the historic Space Coast community. He sees the investment as an important step in supporting Project Kuiper and Amazon’s satellite broadband network.
Project Kuiper aims to establish a satellite constellation of over 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit. It will also provide affordable, high-performance customer terminals and ground networking enabled by Amazon Web Services.
Amazon’s move to expand its presence in the satellite industry comes as the race for global satellite internet coverage heats up. With SpaceX’s Starlink already launched and operational, Amazon is eager to catch up and establish its own stake in the new space-based internet market.
By investing in facilities and infrastructure, Amazon is positioning itself as a major player in the satellite industry. The company’s ambitions are reflected in its plans for Project Kuiper, and time will tell how it competes with SpaceX’s Starlink in the race for satellite internet dominance.
