Amazon is making a significant investment in its Project Kuiper satellite network by constructing a $120 million satellite processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This facility will be responsible for the final preparations and integration of the satellites before they are launched into orbit. With plans to place 3,200 satellites into orbit, Project Kuiper aims to provide global broadband internet coverage.

The investment includes the construction of a 100,000 square foot processing facility and is expected to create around 50 new jobs. The facility will feature a high bay clean room, standing at 100 feet tall, where the satellites will be packed into the nosecone of commercial rockets. Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility, which managed the landing of Space Shuttle missions until 2011, will oversee the operations at the satellite processing facility. The state agency helped secure the deal, previously known as Project Comet, matching investment to improve infrastructure development at the spaceport.

Amazon plans to launch satellite prototypes in the coming months and start offering services next year. The first batch of mass-produced satellites is expected to be sent to the processing facility in the second half of 2025. To meet regulatory requirements, Amazon aims to deploy half of the satellite network into orbit by 2026. The company has already secured 77 heavy-lift rocket launch contracts, primarily from United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' space company.

With the construction of this new facility, Amazon is furthering its competition with SpaceX's Starlink by establishing its own space internet service. Project Kuiper aims to bridge the digital divide by providing fast and affordable broadband to underserved communities worldwide. While SpaceX and other companies like OneWeb are also making strides in the satellite internet sector, Project Kuiper's extensive satellite network sets Amazon apart in this emerging field.