Category: Spaceport Insights

Alaska Spaceport
Feature

Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska USA

Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska stands as a defining example of how bold decisions can reshape an industry. Established in the 1990s as the Kodiak Launch Complex, it became the first FAA-licensed U.S. launch site independent of federal ranges, opening new pathways for commercial flexibility and innovation.

Positioned at the nation’s northernmost orbital launch site, PSCA provides unmatched access to a wide range of orbital inclinations, supporting missions from small satellite deployment to advanced defense testing. Its state-owned, self-sustaining model has driven continuous evolution, enabling cost efficiencies, new capabilities, and diversified revenue streams.

From a greenfield concept to a thriving economic engine, PSCA’s legacy reflects independence, adaptability, and forward-thinking leadership. Its story continues to guide the next generation of spaceports as they build for a more dynamic and commercially driven future.

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April 30, 2026
Site Selection - BRPH
Feature

Spaceport Site Selection

As the commercial space industry accelerates, the race to build the next generation of spaceports is reshaping the ground infrastructure that makes it all possible. No longer limited to government launch sites, spaceports are emerging as strategic hubs driven by private investment, regional growth ambitions, and national priorities.

Success begins with a clear mission. From orbital launches that require expansive safety corridors to suborbital testing and technology hubs, each spaceport must align its purpose with geography, infrastructure, and market demand. Factors such as trajectory, recovery logistics, weather, transportation access, and community support all influence long-term viability.

Looking ahead, increasing launch cadence and reusable systems are shifting the focus toward integrated ecosystems rather than standalone sites. The spaceports that thrive will connect operators, manufacturers, and missions into a cohesive, scalable network, reinforcing that in the race to space, where you start matters just as much as where you are going.

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April 2, 2026
Merrick and Goddard
SI Feature

Goddard Launch Site, Massachusetts - USA 

In 1926, rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket from Asa Wood Farm in Auburn, Massachusetts. Over the next three years, he conducted eight experimental launches using gasoline and liquid oxygen, demonstrating the propulsion systems that would shape modern spaceflight.

Public concerns about noise, fires, and falling debris eventually halted operations at the farm, ending what might have become the world’s first dedicated launch site. Goddard later moved his work to New Mexico with support from the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics.

Today the historic launch site rests quietly within the Pakachoag Golf Course, recognized as a National Historic Landmark and remembered as an early chapter in the story of spaceports.

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March 6, 2026
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Launch
Feature

A Workforce Ready for Lift Off

Florida is turning classrooms into gateways for the space economy.
During a recent GSA Academic Advisory Group session, Space Florida’s Michael Miller and workforce partner Karin Hoffman described how the Space Florida Academy Program is aligning existing career and technical education with real industry needs. By rebranding familiar skills as space pathways and building clear routes from school to high-wage aerospace jobs, the state is creating a talent model that strengthens local economies and offers a practical template for other launch regions.

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January 5, 2026
Dawn and OK
Feature

Dawn Aerospace Visits Oklahoma Air and Space Port

The Dawn Aerospace team on their first visit to Oklahoma standing at the south end of the massive 13, 503’ runway (17L/35R) at the Oklahoma Air & Space Port at Clinton-Sherman Airport (CSM) in Burns Flat. (L-R): Craig Smith, Oklahoma Director of Space Industry Development; Aleisha Draper, Dawn Aerospace Account Manager / Spaceplane; Chris Wadsworth, ODAA CoS; Nick Young, ODAA, Airports Division Manager; Will Austin, Dawn Aerospace Flight Operations Team Lead; Grayson Ardies, ODAA Executive Director; Ralph Huijsman, Dawn Aerospace, Spaceplane Programs Manager.

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November 25, 2025
Launching tomorrow
SI Feature

Launching Tomorrow: Yuma’s Spaceport Partnership with ASU, Industry, and Community

In Yuma, Arizona, a new kind of partnership is taking shape where a university, a design firm, and a community are working side by side to build the future of space infrastructure. The Yuma Spaceport initiative brings together Arizona State University, HDR, and local leaders to design a sustainable, community-driven model for spaceport development. Through ASU’s ∆V Studio, students and professionals are transforming ideas into action, creating a launchpad for innovation that reaches from the classroom to the stars.

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October 23, 2025
The Business of Launch: Why Spaceport Design Requires Business Strategy By BRPH
Building Economics

The Business of Launch

Building a spaceport takes more than steel and launch pads—it takes strategy. BRPH’s Steve Lloyd and Derek Nolek reveal why the future of spaceports depends on business models as much as engineering in The Business of Launch.

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October 1, 2025
Harnessing Digital Twins, AI, and Cyber for Smarter Spaceport Operations
Building Function

Harnessing Digital Twins, AI, and Cyber for Smarter Spaceport Operations

Discover how emerging technologies like digital twins, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced cybersecurity are transforming spaceports into intelligent, efficient, and sustainable hubs. From optimizing multimodal transportation and launch scheduling to enhancing safety, sustainability, and community engagement, these innovations enable spaceports to operate seamlessly while preparing for future growth in the global space economy. Learn how integrating AI, digital twins, and robust cyber defenses is driving smarter, scalable, and secure spaceport operations for the next generation of space exploration.

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August 18, 2025
Crew 006 (04/25/2025 - 04/27/2025) during their Extravehicular Activity (EVA) training at the Midland CEED Building
Building Economics

What is an Analog Mission?

Crew 006 (04/25/2025 – 04/27/2025) working together to implement their leadership training to solve a simulated robotics malfunction at the Midland CEED Building What is an Analog Mission? Analog/simulated space

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July 28, 2025