New facility in Kirkland, Washington will create 200+ jobs and provide capacity to build up to four satellites per day.
Amazon has just announced plans to develop a dedicated, 172,000-square-foot satellite production facility located in Kirkland, Washington. The new facility will create more than 200 highly skilled aerospace and manufacturing jobs in the Puget Sound, and provide the scale required to build up to four satellites per day.
“Amazon could have located their Project Kuiper satellite production facility anywhere in the world, and yet they chose Kirkland and the Greater Seattle region to expand,” said Brian Surratt, president & CEO of Greater Seattle Partners. “The decision to continue to grow here will create new jobs and opportunities for our rich ecosystem of aerospace companies and talent that has evolved over more than a century of research, development and manufacturing. We are honored to be Amazon’s partner in pushing the boundaries of space and delivering fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world.”
Project Kuiper Engineer (photo courtesy Amazon)
The new production facility in Kirkland offers close proximity to two existing Amazon lab spaces in Redmond. One for AWS, and one for Project Kuiper.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) helps commercial and government customers build satellites, conduct space and launch operations, and reimagine space exploration.
- Project Kuiper is an initiative to increase global broadband access through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Kuiper plans to reach a total of 3,236 satellites to build out its constellation and offer satellite broadband internet worldwide.
From Seattle Times: Amazon to open new Kirkland plant to build Project Kuiper satellites
From Amazon: Amazon expands satellite manufacturing at newly acquired Project Kuiper facility
There are roughly 60 aerospace companies in close proximity to Project Kuiper’s new and existing sites.
- Kirkland is home to approximately 16 aerospace companies. Leading employers include:
- Astronics (520)
- Nabtesco Aerospace (48)
- Bellevue is home to 25 aerospace companies. Leading employers include:
- Boeing (996)
- PCC Aerostructures (149)
- Redmond is home to 17 aerospace companies. Leading employers include
- Honeywell International (463)
- Space Exploration Technologies Corp (427)
- IDD Aerospace Corp. (159)
- Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc. (41)
- Nearby training centers:
The metropolitan area of Greater Seattle has the highest employment level of Aerospace Engineers in the nation. King County alone is home to more than 2,200 aerospace engineers, a number almost 4x the average of an area of similar population.
Greater Seattle is home to 900+ aerospace-related companies employing 95,000 people. The industry generates 20.5B in gross regional product, and delivers more than $30 Billion in aerospace exports around the world.
In 2021, Washington’s space economy generated $4.6 billion compared with $1.8 billion in 2018. Space-related jobs grew (more than doubled) from 6,221 to 13,103. (PSRC). There are now more than 90 space companies in Greater Seattle.
Full announcement courtesy Amazon:
Amazon is continuing to invest in people and facilities to support Project Kuiper, a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network that will provide fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. The program is based in Redmond, Washington, and we’ve continued to expand our footprint in the region since announcing an initial 219,000-square-foot research & development facility in 2020.
These facilities have the capacity to support prototype development and begin commercial satellite production, but to deliver on our vision for the project, we need to operate on a much larger scale. That requires dedicated manufacturing space, and we’re excited to announce plans to develop a dedicated, 172,000-square-foot satellite production facility located in Kirkland, Washington. The new facility will create more than 200 highly skilled aerospace and manufacturing jobs in the Puget Sound, and provide the scale required to build up to four satellites per day.
“Getting Project Kuiper’s satellites into space requires significant precision, expertise, and a world-class team committed to our vision,” said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper. “This new satellite production facility will significantly expand our manufacturing capacity as we approach launch and deployment, and brings us another step closer to delivering on our mission to connect unserved and underserved communities around the world.”
Project Kuiper satellites have been designed and developed in-house to maximize performance while reducing costs, and our vertically integrated manufacturing facility will give us additional control over the production and testing process. By centralizing operations here in the Puget Sound, we can also ensure close coordination between design and development teams in Redmond and manufacturing teams in Kirkland.
“We’re excited with Amazon’s selection of Kirkland for Project Kuiper’s satellite production facility,” said Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet. “Whether you’re looking to get your foot in the door or are pursuing an advanced, high-level career, this will bring even more economic opportunity for professionals who live here and for those who have yet to call Kirkland home. Partners like Amazon are critical in demonstrating why our city is such a great place to live, work, and play. Our state’s pioneering spirit has revolutionized aerospace. As Project Kuiper’s partner, Kirkland is proud to continue this tradition.”
For over a century, Washington has been home to a thriving aerospace sector. Project Kuiper recently joined a White House-led coalition to bolster our country’s commercial space workforce, and these investments will allow us to extend that commitment to our local communities here in the Puget Sound. Our new production facility will open new doors in advanced manufacturing for a diverse range of space-focused jobseekers, and provide additional opportunities for local partners with expertise in manufacturing materials and services.
“In the 21st century, a reliable high-speed internet connection is essential for living, learning, and working from home. Amazon’s Project Kuiper will be critical to help close the digital divide and provide more affordable internet options. Our region’s tech industry is strong, and its continued growth has significant benefits across the country,” said Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01). “Project Kuiper’s new production facility will bring good-paying, high-skilled jobs to the Puget Sound region as work continues to expand broadband access everywhere.”
“Amazon could have located their Project Kuiper satellite production facility anywhere in the world, and yet they chose Kirkland and the Greater Seattle region to expand,” said Brian Surratt, president & CEO of Greater Seattle Partners. “The decision to continue to grow here will create new jobs and opportunities for our rich ecosystem of aerospace companies and talent that has evolved over more than a century of research, development and manufacturing. We are honored to be Amazon’s partner in pushing the boundaries of space and delivering fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world.”
Project Kuiper’s first two prototype satellites will launch in early 2023 on ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket, and Amazon has secured up to 92 heavy-lift launches from Arianespace, Blue Origin and ULA — the largest commercial procurement of launch vehicles in history. These contracts will provide enough capacity to deploy the majority of our satellite constellation, and support thousands of suppliers and highly skilled jobs across the United States and Europe. ULA announced today the groundbreaking of new facilities in Decatur, AL, nearly doubling its capacity to support the partnership and supply the launch vehicles needed to get Kuiper satellites into orbit.
There are more than 1,000 people working on Project Kuiper across the U.S., including cities like San Diego, Austin, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and we’re continuing to hire across a wide range of roles and disciplines. If you’re interested in joining us, click here to view open roles.
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