United Launch Alliance is expanding in North Alabama, breaking ground recently on a new 250,000-square-foot facility that will be home to both a warehouse and a new factory for Beyond Gravity, which supplies ULA with rocket parts. The expansion is expected to be complete by 2024 and will bring hundreds of new jobs to the region.
The new facility will be right next to the current ULA factory and is expected to double production. Beyond Gravity supplies ULA with the fairings at the top of the rocket, which helps keep the payload safe during liftoff.
ULA is involved in creating Vulcan rockets, which will be used for future missions such as Amazon’s Project Kuiper. "The largest commercial contract ever awarded in history," ULA CEO Tory Bruno said.
ULA and Beyond Gravity will send a constellation of satellites into space on 47 separate rockets. Those satellites will provide broadband internet around the world.
"It will help shape the future of the space industry by delivering products that will help advance humankind," added Beyond Gravity CEO André Wall.
Amazon's prototype satellites are set to share a ride with the Peregrine Lunar Lander on the Vulcan rocket early next year.