AWS could boldly go where no cloud provider has gone before

Satellite in space

Amazon's cloud computing division, AWS, is planning an "audacious" space project according to job adverts posted, and later removed, by the company.

Before it took them down, a website that tracks Amazon for entrepreneurs called This Just In managed to grab screenshots of the job posts that advertise for a "Space and Satellite System Software Development Engineer" and a "Space and Satellite Product Manager".

"Amazon has created some of the most game-changing technologies in the world. Are you passionate about building, owning and operating satellite and space systems and ready to make another game-changing technology?" The job advert said.

"If the answer is yes, then Amazon Web Services (AWS) has an exciting opportunity for you. AWS Regional Services is seeking a talented and results-oriented Product Manager - Technical to help innovate and disrupt the launch, satellite and space world with new AWS products, services and features."

The adverts went on to say AWS "needs" a software development expert and a product manager who want to be part of an "audacious" space project, with both vacancies based at the companies Herndon, Virginia Offices.

For the product manager role, the company said it was looking for a specialist to develop services and features that enable AWS customers to integrate their space systems with Amazon's massive-scale data centre networks.

Amazon is aiming to provide the capabilities for networking launch vehicles, aggregating satellite systems, inter-connecting space system networks and critical data centre infrastructure.

These systems are to be monitored by a software development engineer, tasked with building a scalable, real-time satellite data processing system that AWS say will directly impact both Amazon teams and Amazon customers around the world as it builds space processing services and features that will be used by commercial and government customers.

This would indicate a new venture for Amazon's owner Jeff Bezos, who has a well-known interest in space and is also the owner of Blue Origin, his privately funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight service. Bezos is often said to be the world's richest man and his company is the second in the world to reach the valuation of $1 trillion.

ITPro has approached AWS for comment. Watch this space.

Bobby Hellard

Bobby Hellard is ITPro's Reviews Editor and has worked on CloudPro and ChannelPro since 2018. In his time at ITPro, Bobby has covered stories for all the major technology companies, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook, and regularly attends industry-leading events such as AWS Re:Invent and Google Cloud Next.

Bobby mainly covers hardware reviews, but you will also recognise him as the face of many of our video reviews of laptops and smartphones.