Space Technology Company to Build Satellite Launch Site on Adak Island
A California-based space technology company, SpinLaunch, has signed a 100-year land lease with the Aleut Corp., the landowning Native corporation on Adak Island, Alaska, to build a launchpad for sending satellites into low Earth orbit. The agreement was finalized in October 2024 and announced recently in a statement from the Aleut Corp.
SpinLaunch plans to utilize Adak Island for its centrifugal launch technology, described as a mass acceleration system. This system spins payloads in a vacuum chamber at high speeds and launches them into orbit without relying on fuel-powered rockets. Aleut Corp. Vice President of Regional Affairs, Julie Toomey, likened the technology to a “high-tech slingshot,” stating it’s “cleaner, simpler, and significantly more cost-effective.”
The company first gained attention in 2018 for proposing this method as a lower-cost alternative to conventional rocket launches. Since then, SpinLaunch has completed about 10 test flights using a scaled-down version of the system at Spaceport America in New Mexico. In recent years, the company explored locations for a permanent launch site, including a visit to Unalaska in 2020, though it didn’t progress beyond early discussions.
Adak Island, the westernmost municipality in the United States, was once home to a naval air base. SpinLaunch chose Adak for its combination of remoteness and existing infrastructure, including a deepwater port, regular commercial air service, and former military facilities from the naval base, which closed in 1997. The company also highlighted Adak’s potential for renewable energy development, such as wind and geothermal resources.
The island’s population declined sharply after the naval base was decommissioned, dropping from over 4,000 residents in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today. The city closed its school last year due to low enrollment. Toomey noted that the existing infrastructure, much of which originated during the military buildup in the 1940s, attracted SpinLaunch to Adak. “There’s an operational airport and port infrastructure, former military buildings we can repurpose, and renewable energy potential to help power the site,” she said.
Kate Gilling, Aleut Corp. spokesperson, believes the project will stimulate growth and attract families back to the island. “That will certainly mean an increase in population. We’ll need more restaurants, hoteling, and housing space, and more infrastructure. So, that influx of a larger population will only bring about benefits for the community,” she said.
The Aleut Corp. Board Chair, Jenifer Nelson, stated that the project will benefit the corporation’s over 5,000 shareholders, in addition to Adak’s community members. “We are working to drive meaningful economic development that brings long-term benefits to our shareholders and the region as a whole,” Nelson said. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has been vocal in his support for Adak’s development, and Aleut Corp. representatives say he backs the project.
Environmental planning is currently underway, with special attention being paid to nesting bird habitats. A timeline for launch operations has not been announced.
