KIRKLAND—United States Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined Kirkland Mayor Kelli Curtis, Brian Huseman, VP of Public Policy and Community Engagement at Amazon, Steven Metayer, VP of Project Kuiper Production Operations at Amazon, and Dr. Amy Morrison, President of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology for the grand opening of the new 172,000-square-foot Project Kuiper satellite production facility.
“We like to say we’re the Silicon Valley of space here in Puget Sound, and Kirkland now is joining the fight and helping us deliver not just better service, but a skilled workforce,” said Sen. Cantwell at the facility opening.
Project Kuiper aims to produce a low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation of 3000+ satellites to offer broadband to consumers from space. The new Kirkland facility will employ 200 engineers and manufacturers and Amazon has partnered with the Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) to create a satellite technician certificate as part of the LWTech Engineering Technology Program. Amazon plans to produce up to five satellites per day at the Kirkland facility.
Senator Cantwell is a champion for the Washington state’s space economy and its 13,000+ workers. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. Cantwell was the key architect of the CHIPS and Science Act, a historic $250 billion federal investment designed to spur American research and development, manufacturing, and create thousands of jobs and build a highly-trained workforce.
The CHIPS and Science Act invested $13 billion in STEM education and technical training programs to train more Americans for good-paying careers. The law also includes nearly $2 billion for minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to help build a strong, diverse, and innovative domestic workforce. The CHIPS and Science Act also established the Tech Hubs Program, which aims to harness and support existing pockets of regional expertise, boosting U.S. competitiveness by ensuring that innovation is happening across the country.
In April 2024, Sen. Cantwell held a roundtable discussion at Blue Origin in Kent with industry leaders and workforce partners to discuss what the recent Spokane Tech Hub designation means for Washington state.
In July 2023, Sen. Cantwell invited NASA Administrator Bill Nelson for a Washington State Space Summit, featuring a trade show with 20 local space companies and a panel discussion with industry groups, and educators from across the State of Washington.
Video of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks available HERE, photos HERE, and transcript of her remarks HERE.
SOURCE: Office and Senator Maria Cantwell
