The first beams of Blue Origin's Space Coast rocket factory have been put in place.
- Blue Origin to manufacture rockets at Cape Canaveral
- 'New Glenn' facility expected to operational by end of 2017
Amazon.com founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos, owner of space venture Blue Origin, said in an online update Tuesday morning that "the first steel is now going up" on the 750,000-square-foot "New Glenn" facility at Cape Canaveral.
Blue Origin will build its reusable rockets from there and is currently hiring engineers.
The Space Coast New Glenn facility is expected to be up and running by the end of 2017.
Blue Origin is based near Seattle and also has a privately owned and operated rocket-testing range in West Texas.
An artist's rendering of Blue Origin's 'New Glenn' factory depicts the completed facility. (Blue Origin)