Beyond Gravity to Supply ULA With Payload Fairings for Amazon’s Kuiper Launches

Rendering of the first ULA Vulcan launch with Amazon Kuiper satellites. Photo via Amazon.

Beyond Gravity announced a contract from United Launch Alliance (ULA) to supply 38 payload fairings for its Vulcan rockets for launches for Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites. This follows after Beyond Gravity previously won an Amazon contract to develop and build the dispenser system for the Kuiper satellites. 

The company said it will double its production capacity in the U.S. to support the contract. The company is working with ULA to build a new manufacturing facility at its site in Decatur, Alabama, by early 2024, which it said will create an 200 additional jobs.

Beyond Gravity, formerly Ruag Space, is a long-term supplier of ULA. will build the shipsets, including the payload fairing, heat shield that protects the launch vehicle from the heat generated during launch, and an interstage adapter that interfaces to the launcher’s upper stage.

André Wall, CEO of Beyond Gravity commented: “I am very proud that the Vulcan launch vehicles that will carry the Kuiper constellation into space rely on our leading-edge and proven technology in the field of composite structures. This contract with ULA marks the next chapter in our long-standing partnership and further strengthens and expands our presence in the U.S.” 

Amazon is ramping up activity to support the Project Kuiper constellation and announced Thursday that it acquired a new 172,000-square-foot facility in Washington state for satellite production. Amazon has contracted ULA for 38 launches on the Vulcan Centaur rocket and nine launches on ULA Atlas V vehicles.