Rocket Lab backing new Alaska launch pads
November 2, 2026

By Chris Forrester



Rocket Lab, based in New Zealand and California, is behind the refurbishment and build of two new launch pads in Alaska. The cash, some $22 million (€19.6m), is coming from the US federal government, and will improve an existing 30-year-old facility.

According to local reports, Alaska Aerospace CEO John Oberst says the first new launch pad at Kodiak, Alaska, partly for Rocket Lab’s use, is expected to be completed by January 2027. The site is at Kodiak Island, south-west of Anchorage, Alaska and now known as the Pacific Spaceport Complex. The Complex opened in 1998 and has seen more than 30 launches from the site.


The second Alaska pad will break ground soon, said Oberst.

These will be the fourth and fifth pads for Rocket Lab.

Rocket Lab has already secured a $266 million US Air Force contract supporting missile defense testing. Having dedicated launch infrastructure in Alaska reportedly gives the company additional capacity to execute these missions while continuing its regular Electron launch business and development of its Neutron reusable rocket.