Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska

Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska

Athena I vehicle with Kodiak Star mission outside the Launch Service Structure in 2001
Location	Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA
Coordinates	57°26′09″N 152°20′16″W / 57.43583°N 152.33778°W / 57.43583; -152.33778
Operator	Alaska Aerospace Corporation
Launch history Launches 27 First launch 6 November 1998 Last launch 28 August 2021 Associated rockets Athena I, Minotaur IV, Astra Rocket

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Rocket 3.1 launch attempt.

The Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska (PSCA), formerly known as the Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), is a dual-use commercial and military spaceport for sub-orbital and orbital launch vehicles.^[1] The facility is owned and operated by the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, a public^{[clarification needed]} corporation of the State of Alaska,^[2][3] and is located on Kodiak Island in Alaska.

The spaceport opened in 1998 and has supported 27 (up to August 2021) launches, most of those for the U.S. government. The site was closed for two years following a launch failure that caused significant damage to parts of the spaceport. It reopened in August 2016.

History[]

Following the incorporation of the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation in 1991 by the Alaska state legislature, plans were begun for the spaceport, known during development as the Alaska Orbital Launch Complex. Construction on the site began in January 1998, and the first launch took place in August 1998 from temporary accommodations at the site.^[4]

After a launch failure in August 2014 damaged the launch tower, payload processing facility and integrated processing facility,^[5] Alaska Aerospace made plans to repair and upgrade the facilities to support larger rockets, but Governor Bill Walker stopped work in December 2014 as part of an order to address a state budget shortfall.^[6] Repairs to the facility were funded by state insurance at a cost of US$26–29 million.^[7] During efforts to repair the facilities, the spaceport was formally renamed to "Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska" in an announcement made on 14 April 2015.^[8] The facility was formally re-dedicated on 13 August 2016, to celebrate the completion of repairs.^[1]

In mid-2016, the Alaska Aerospace Corporation "signed a multi-year contract with the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) for multiple launches from the PSCA through 2021". The arrangement includes a sole-source contract for two flight tests of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Two private companies, Rocket Lab and Vector Space Systems, are considering using the spaceport for commercial launches as early as 2019.^[1] Another private company, Eclipse Orbital, is working with the Alaska Aerospace Corporation to prepare for flight operations of their "Corona" launch vehicle in 2020.

Indian private space company Agnikul Cosmos signed a memorandum of agreement with Alaska Aerospace Corporation to test launch their Agnibaan rocket from the Pacific Spaceport Complex. The launch from Alaska is expected to take place from 2022 onwards. Under the agreement, Alaska Aerospace and AgniKul will work together to secure several regulatory approvals including US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launch licensing, US export control, and will comply with export laws & regulations in India to receive necessary clearances from the Indian authorities as well. The aim is to define launch vehicle-spaceport interfaces, related procedures and conduct at least one test launch from PSCA.^[9]

Launch facilities[]

The Kodiak spaceport has two launch pads with a mission control center that includes 64 workstations with high-speed communications and data links. There is a clean room for preparing satellites for launch, a fully enclosed 17-story-tall rocket assembly building and two independent range and telemetry systems. The complex sits on 3,700 acres (15 km²) of state-owned land. Launch pad 1 is designed for orbital launches, while launch pad 2 is intended for sub-orbital flights.^[3]

In 2010, Alaska Aerospace Corp. had a concept plan for a third launch pad to be built, which could allow the facility to support quick launches of satellites: under 24 hours to launch from "go ahead".^{[3][needs update]}

Launch history[]

The first orbital launch from the PSCA was an Athena I rocket which carried out the Kodiak Star mission for NASA and the Space Test Program, launching Starshine 3, Sapphire, PCSat, and PICOSatS on 30 September 2001.^[10]

• Additional sources: Center for Defense Information,^[39] Missile Defense Agency^[40]

The list above contains all launches, orbital and suborbital, up to August 2021.

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska.

• Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska website by the Alaska Aerospace Corporation
• Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation Annual Reports from 2002 to present hosted by the Alaska State Publications Program.
• Economic impact of the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation on the Kodiak Island Borough and the State of Alaska 2006 hosted by the Alaska State Publications Program.
• Environmental monitoring report, FTG-02 launch : Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak, Alaska / prepared for Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation (2007) hosted by the Alaska State Publications Program.
• Environmental monitoring report, FT-04-1 launch : Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak, Alaska (2006) hosted by the Alaska State Publications Program.

Coordinates: 57°26′09″N 152°20′16″W / 57.435833°N 152.337778°W / 57.435833; -152.337778