Amazon plans to construct a secondary reinforce facility for its Challenge Kuiper satellite tv for pc processing heart at Kennedy Area Heart in Florida — a $19.5 million enlargement plan that brings overall funding within the web site to almost $140 million.
The 42,000-square-foot construction might be positioned subsequent to the present 100,000-square-foot construction on the satellite tv for pc processing facility, Amazon mentioned these days in a weblog posting. It’s supposed to supply further area for processing and storing flight {hardware} forward of release, bearing in mind a typical cadence of missions to deploy Challenge Kuiper’s 3,232-satellite constellation.
Challenge Kuiper is Amazon’s multibillion-dollar effort to supply broadband web provider all over the world by means of satellites in low Earth orbit. It’s seen as a competitor for SpaceX’s Starlink community, which already has greater than 6,000 satellites in orbit and greater than 3 million subscribers.
Each SpaceX and Amazon manufacture their satellites within the Seattle house. Starlink’s manufacturing unit is in Redmond, Wash., whilst Challenge Kuiper has amenities in Redmond and within sight Kirkland.
To this point, Amazon has had handiest two prototype satellites introduced. However over the following couple of years, maximum of Challenge Kuiper’s satellites are anticipated to be introduced from Florida on rockets equipped by means of United Release Alliance, by means of SpaceX and by means of Blue Starting place, the non-public area project created by means of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The satellite tv for pc facility in Florida will streamline the method of receiving shipments, connecting satellites to customized dispensers and integrating the loaded dispensers with release automobiles. The newly introduced reinforce facility will characteristic temperature-controlled garage spaces, upkeep bays, multipurpose workspaces and air load rigging features for simply transferring heavy apparatus. Development is anticipated to be finished in 2025.
“Increasing investments in Challenge Kuiper’s infrastructure at Area Florida’s Release and Touchdown Facility now not handiest reinforces our dedication to handing over dependable broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities international, but in addition strengthens Florida’s place as a hub for area innovation and activity advent,” mentioned Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice chairman for public coverage and group engagement.
Amazon mentioned it might additionally put money into infrastructure and repair upgrades at Cape Canaveral as a part of its release settlement with United Release Alliance. Paintings is underway on a 2nd ULA vertical integration facility devoted to Challenge Kuiper, with final touch set for early 2025. The power is named “VIF-A,” with the “A” status for Amazon.
Challenge Kuiper continues to be on the right track to start handing over provider to shoppers in 2025, Amazon mentioned these days. There at the moment are greater than 2,000 other people at Amazon operating at the program.
