Blue Origin's KSC rocket factory coming together ahead of December opening

Blue Origin, the rocketry company founded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, appears to be putting the finishing touches on its massive factory at Kennedy Space Center.

Crews recently installed bright "Blue Origin" logos on the sides of the white-and-blue building, which sits just west of the spaceport at Exploration Park. Two massive, yellow crane rails were also transported to the factory last week.

The 750,000-square-foot facility will assemble 270- and 330-foot variants of the company's reusable New Glenn rockets, which will launch from about 10 miles away at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 36. The factory will also function as launch control for Blue Origin's missions due to the pad's proximity and advances in automation.

The company in August said it could open the factory on Space Commerce Way by Dec. 20, while the debut flight of a New Glenn rocket is expected no sooner than 2020.

Across the street, a $70 million OneWeb Satellites assembly plant is also under construction ahead of its March 2018 opening. The company has partnered with European aerospace giant Airbus to produce small satellites that will one day beam broadband internet down to the ground for use by anyone with an access terminal.

The facility is slated to employ 125 to 150 people and will assemble hundreds of refrigerator-sized broadband satellites at Exploration Park.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook at @EmreKelly.

[SpaceX rocket and drone ship sail into Port Canaveral at sunset]

[Spotted near KSC: Crew access arm for NASA's next-generation SLS rocket]