The Dominican Republic is exploring the possibility of building a spaceport on its own territory. Their partner in this project is the American company Launch on Demand. Now its representatives are studying the advantages of this project and its possible risks.
New spaceport in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic may have its own spaceport in a few years. This was announced on May 22 by representatives of the American company Launch on Demand. According to them, they have concluded an agreement with the Government of this country, pursuant to which they will make preliminary assessments of this project over the next few months.
We are not talking about any specific dates or construction site yet. It is only known that the country considers this project as a key element of its own security and political prestige. Special attention is focused on the southern region of Oviedo.
In the meantime, the company will study a possible flight corridor, the impact of climate, the possibility of an accident, interaction with shipping and air transport, and a possible frequency conflict. In addition, they must establish how large the gain in lift will be when launching from this spaceport. It is known that the closer the launch pad is to the equator, the more cargo can be put into orbit at the same fuel consumption.
Will this spaceport really be built
The need to build new launch pads for American companies has been long planned. The Cape Canaveral spaceport does not manage to meet all requests. And the Dominican Republic has been considered as one of the options for some time.
The country’s leadership does not mind at all. However, the key issue for it is safety, including environmental safety. This is what Launch on Demand should solve at the first stage. The question has another side. Spaceports are also places strongly connected with national security and the development of an industrial base. Having an American spaceport on someone’s territory is already an application for a profitable strategic partnership.
In short, it is necessary to weigh all the pros and cons. By the way, the “Dominican” project is not the only one being developed by Launch on Demand. Its specialists are evaluating two more potential launch sites: two in Arizona and one outside the United States.
According to spacenews.com
