Amazon Opens High-Capacity Satellite Processing Facility to Accelerate Project Kuiper Deployment – Florida Chamber of Commerce
Amazon has opened a new 100,000-square-foot satellite processing facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
in Florida—marking a major step forward for Project Kuiper, the company’s low Earth orbit satellite network designed to deliver global broadband access.
The state-of-the-art facility became operational ahead of the first satellite deployments in April 2025. At full capacity, it will be capable of processing more than 100 satellites per month and supporting three simultaneous launch campaigns, streamlining operations between satellite production and launch.
Launch Readiness on Florida’s Space Coast
Once satellites are manufactured in Kirkland, Washington, they are shipped to the Florida facility, where they undergo final health checks, receive propellant, and are integrated into dispenser systems. The satellites are then encapsulated into rocket fairings for launch aboard vehicles such as Atlas V, Falcon 9, Vulcan Centaur, and New Glenn.
“This facility is unlike anything else on the Space Coast,” said Steve Metayer, vice president of production operations for Project Kuiper. “It’s designed to handle high-volume satellite processing, ensuring we can launch quickly and at scale.”
Supporting the Space Economy
Amazon’s investment in Florida—estimated at nearly $140 million—has created over 130 jobs in engineering, operations, and logistics. A second support facility is also under construction to increase throughput.
The site includes high-capacity cleanrooms, temperature-controlled storage, overhead crane systems, and specialized maintenance bays. It also benefits from infrastructure funded through partnerships with state and regional organizations, including Space Florida.
Project Kuiper’s Path Forward
The Florida launch site plays a crucial role in helping Amazon meet regulatory requirements to deploy at least 1,600 satellites by mid-2026, with full service planned through a constellation of over 3,200 satellites. The company aims to begin customer service as early as late 2025, prioritizing unserved and underserved communities.
The April 2025 launch of the first 27 production satellites marked a turning point for the project, with more launches planned through a diversified launch portfolio to meet global demand.
Read more: Inside Project Kuiper’s Florida hub: Preparing satellites for Amazon’s space network
