Amazonis progress a facility in Florida for Project Kuiper , which aims tolaunch a projected 3,236 satellitesinto Earth ’s low orbit . The company will progress the $ 120 million installation at Space Florida ’s Launch and Landing Facility ( LLF ) at Kennedy Space Center .
The company announced on Friday that building is afoot , and it ’s the latest in a serial of long - term investments into Project Kuiper — an initiative to fetch high - speed internet access to underserved communities anywhere in the world . Space Florida is leasing and operate the Launch and Landing Facility ( LLF ) , where the Project Kuiper facility is set to be build . This situation was antecedently the landing location for NASA ’s Space Shuttle missions .
“ I am thrilled that Amazon is the first major tenant to turn up [ at the LLF ] , ” Frank DiBello , CEO of Space Florida , toldCNBC . “ It ’s a will to the fact , though , that we view the whole state as an ecosystem plump for space . ”
Artistic impression of the upcoming Project Kuiper facility.Image: Amazon
The U.S.Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) approve Project Kuiperin July 2020 , two long time after Amazon start inquiry and development , but with the contingency thatit launches at least half of the satellitesby July 2026 .
The 100,000 - straight - foot readiness , where 50 employees will be house , represents a modest portion of Amazon ’s declared $ 10 billion investment in the Kuiper Project . More than 1,400 hoi polloi are already employed by Project Kuiper , according to Amazon .
This facility signify the final degree in the project pipeline before the planet are deployed into space . Project Kuiper orbiter will commence production at a fabrication adeptness in Kirkland , Washington , by the end of 2023 and once completed will then be transport to the new processing quickness in Florida . After come at FLL , the orbiter will be sent to a ten - chronicle - marvellous room where they will be accommodate into arugula payload fairings , which will function as a protective shield for the orbiter .
The orbiter will be shuttled to space on roquette have by the United Launch Alliance and on Jeff Bezos’Blue Origin(as an aside , both of these skyrocket have yet to perform their first flight ) . As reported in CNBC , Amazon has already booked 77 launch to convey the satellite to space , most of which will launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station , with open options to add more launches to assure it meets the FCC ’s regulatory necessity .
Amazon enunciate it will set in motion “ two prototype satellite in the come month to aid test our meshwork and subsystems ” with production on its 3,000 + satellites to commence in 2024 . The company was schedule tolaunch its prototype satellitesin May on a ULA Vulcan Centaur , but this was force back after aviolent explosionof the upper stage during testing in March . ULA is nowhopingto place the rocket on its initiatory flight of stairs by the end of the year .
Said Steve Metayer , frailty president of Kuiper Production Operations , in anews release : “ We have an ambitious design to begin Project Kuiper ’s full - ordered series production launches and former customer pilot program next class , and this new quickness will play a critical persona in help us deliver on that timeline . ”
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