Amazon has hired Maruthy Vedam as the head of silicon at its satellite Internet initiative Project Kuiper.

Vedam spent the last six years at Google, where he was a data center custom chip development executive working on TPUs, video accelerators, and the Axion Arm CPU.

Prior to his time at the hyperscaler, Vedam spent seven years at Intel working on FPGAs and other chip products. His move to Amazon has not been previously reported.

"I'm so excited to join Kuiper that I could launch myself into orbit," Vedam said on LinkedIn. "Though I'll probably stick to building the chips that actually go to space. I look forward to developing innovative silicon solutions that will push the boundaries of what's possible.

"I am inspired by Kuiper's mission to help close the digital divide by delivering fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. They say the sky's the limit, but at Kuiper, we're aiming a little higher. Get ready for some out-of-this-world connectivity!"

Amazon is currently hiring to build out its Kuiper silicon team.

It plans to deploy 3,232 satellites in low Earth orbit to provide broadband Internet services across the world, competing with SpaceX's Starlink service. Production satellites are finally expected to launch this year, after years of delays.

This month, the UK's Ofcom granted a license to Kuiper for satellite connectivity in the country.

Starlink, which has operated since 2020, also has its own custom silicon team, and is currently hiring for semiconductor fabrication operators.

"In true SpaceX fashion, Starlink is taking the next step in vertical integration by bringing integrated circuit packaging and assembly in-house for development and manufacturing. You will work closely with IC packaging engineers, equipment manufacturers, and leadership," the listing states.