WASHINGTON DC: Alaska Aerospace Corporation (AAC) participated in the 20th Annual Commercial Space Transportation Conference, co-hosted this year by the Federal Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. The annual conference brings industry leaders together with government officials to discuss the developing commercial space market, including streamlining space launch and commercial operations, and changes in the global commercial space market.
This year, Craig E. Campbell, AAC President and Chief Executive Officer, participated on the Spaceports Panel – A Roadway Upwards. With the rapid expansion in the commercial space market, Campbell offered insights into the development and operation of commercial spaceports, as has been experienced at the Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska (PSCA). PSCA is the nation’s only high latitude full service spaceport. It features all indoor, all weather, processing, designed specifically to provide optimal support for space launches to low earth, sun synchronous, polar, and highly elliptical orbits.
“Those interested in owning and operating a commercial spaceport should carefully evaluate the space launch market before jumping into the launch site business,” Campbell cautioned the audience. “The annual sustainment costs of a launch facility, which includes personnel, infrastructure, business development, and environmental and liability issues must not be underestimated if the owner expects the facility to be profitable,” he continued. “In Alaska we have a twenty year history of successful launches. Today we have streamlined our sustainment costs through lean operations and competitive rates, allowing PSCA to provide cost competitive launch services to both government and commercial customers.” Campbell concluded.
Alaska Aerospace Corporation is a state owned company, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, with offices in Kodiak, Alaska and Huntsville, Alabama The Company owns and operates PSCA located at Narrow Cape on Kodiak Island.