Amazon is planning to open a logistics center in Everett in June to support of the company's Project Kuiper broadband satellite network. The new, 184,000-square-foot facility will employ 200, the company said. The new plant will support the production of satellites at Amazon's facility in Kirkland.
“I am thrilled to welcome Amazon’s new Project Kuiper facility to Everett,” Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said in a statement. “This investment not only strengthens our region’s reputation as a hub for aerospace innovation, but also creates valuable job opportunities for our residents. The space industry is a rapidly growing sector, and Everett is proud to play a role in helping it thrive in Washington state.”
Amazon says Project Kuiper aims to close the digital divide by delivering fast, affordable broadband to businesses, government agencies and consumers. The company has secured 80 agreements to launch 3,236 satellites that will orbit the Earth at a distance of about 1,200 miles, considered low-Earth orbit, according to Amazon, and reported in the Everett Herald.
Project Kuiper has partnered with the Lake Washington Institute of Technology to create the institute’s first-ever satellite technician certificate program. The program will focus on safety protocols, aerospace assembly skills, materials handling, electrical systems and industry-standard practices, the institute said.
“Our partnership with Lake Washington Institute of Technology will help create a pipeline of future satellite technicians to meet the evolving needs of this area’s thriving space and satellite sectors, and give more people the opportunity to take part in Project Kuiper’s important mission,” said Brian Huseman, vice president of public policy and community engagement at Amazon, in a statement.
More than half of the satellites in low-Earth orbit are manufactured in Washington, according to the state Department of Commerce.