HUTTO, TEXAS — Blue Origin Enterprises, a private American aerospace manufacturer, defense contractor and spaceflight services company founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will invest approximately $554 million to develop Constellation Park, a 1.3 million-square-foot satellite and communications manufacturing campus located in Hutto, about 35 miles northeast of Austin. The facility is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs over 10 years.
Constellation Park will be situated in the Hutto Crossing development, a 118-acre, multi-phase industrial and commercial development owned by Dallas-based Velocis, Austin-based Ironwood Realty Partners LLC and California-based MBK Industrial Properties.
This project marks the first time Blue Origin is receiving money from outside investors, as reported by multiple sources. The space company received an $18.2 million grant through the Texas Enterprise Fund from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office. Williamson County also unanimously approved local tax breaks and economic development agreements for Blue Origin’s investment.
According to the Austin Business Journal, Blue Origin has committed to working with the Williamson County school district to develop paid high school internships and support career and technical education programs to give students a pathway to careers in aerospace and advanced manufacturing.
“With this investment by Blue Origin, along with recent expansions by other industry leaders, Hutto is becoming an anchor point on the Highway 79 tech corridor,” says Hutto Mayor Mike Snyder. “Our policies and our approach to business are drawing in the kind of companies that create career opportunities, not just jobs.”
Constellation Park will support manufacturing for Terawave, Blue Origin’s satellite communications network that delivers up to six terabits per second of symmetrical data anywhere on Earth for enterprise, data center and government users.
The facility will also expand production for Quartz, a global ground communications network that features 3.7‑meter aperture antennas that enable connectivity for low Earth orbit missions. In addition, the campus will house manufacturing for solar arrays, avionics, telecommunications and other satellite hardware in Blue Origin’s platform.
A timeline for construction was not disclosed.
“Texas has long understood what it takes to lead in space exploration,” says Dave Limp, CEO of Blue Origin. “We’re proud to grow our footprint here in Texas, tap into the world-class talent this state has to offer and help ensure America remains the leader in space innovation.”
Headquartered in Kent, Wash., Blue Origin was founded in 2000 with the goal of “making space travel more accessible and enabling millions of people to live and work in space.” Constellation Park is Blue Origin’s first and only dedicated large-scale satellite manufacturing and communications campus of its kind.
— Abby Cox