Nuñez, Space Florida President and CEO Frank DiBello. Pictured, top, are Project Kuiper and Amazon executives, along with Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette M. Customer access to the service will begin later in the year.Īmazon recently announced the design, size, and performance details of our three customer terminals-the antennas Project Kuiper customers will use to receive the service (pictured below). The company expects to begin mass-producing satellites by the end of 2023, with Project Kuiper launching the first production satellites in the first half of 2024. “Adding Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite payload processing facility to the region’s growing industrial capability in commercial space is a testament to the power of building a statewide ecosystem that supports companies across the entire aerospace supply chain,” added Brian Huseman, vp of public policy and community engagement at Amazon. “We have an ambitious plan to begin Project Kuiper’s full-scale production launches and early customer pilots next year, and this new facility will play a critical role in helping us deliver on that timeline,” said Steve Metayer, vp of Kuiper Production Operations. launch providers Blue Origin and ULA, with launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It’s one of several Amazon investments Florida, it says.Īmazon said it is investing $120 million in construction and equipment, creating up to 50 new jobs on the Space Coast.Īmazon has secured 77 heavy-lift launch vehicles to deploy its satellite constellation, most of which will be provided by U.S. The company highlights the facility stems from an expected partnership with Space Florida’s Spaceport Improvement Program, an investment matching initiative that aims to boost critical spaceport infrastructure in the state. The payload bay doors are then closed, and the hardware is ready for flight.The 100,000-square-foot centre features a 100-foot tall high bay clean room for the payload fairing of new heavy-lift rockets like Blue Origin’s New Glenn and ULA’s Vulcan Centaur. Payloads can be installed in the Orbiter either at the launch pad or in the Orbiter Processing Facility.Īt the pad, once the launch package has been installed in the Orbiter's payload bay, real-time test data is transmitted from the pad to the SSPF User Room to verify that the payload is working properly. The payload canister is then driven slowly across Kennedy Space Center to the Shuttle. It is carefully packed into the payload canister, a large container with an interior identical in size and dimensions to the Shuttle's payload bay. Once the hardware has satisfied all test requirements, it is ready to be loaded into the Shuttle's payload bay. Multi-Element testing (MEIT) provides an opportunity for engineers and technicians to modify or correct deficiencies while the hardware is accessible on the ground. Any conflicts that appear can then be safely resolved before the elements reach orbit.Īstronaut crew members are also given an opportunity to participate in "hands-on" testing to prepare them for their individual missions. Computer models of each physical interface are constructed, then these digital models are brought together. Since none of the elements are physically connected before they meet on orbit, a Digital pre-Assembly (DPA) is conducted during processing to discover any physical incompatibilities. After the payload arrives at the SSPF, workers spend the next several months physically integrating experiments and other payloads into the hardware. Other items will be delivered to the hardware inspection area. Items requiring use of the airlock will be unpacked either in the airlock or in the highbay if the airlock is in use. Most ISS payloads are delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF). Upon its arrival at KSC, usually via cargo plane landing at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility, new Space Station hardware is checked for identification and damage, inventoried, and transported to the appropriate location.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |