The National Intelligence Agency (DNI) has signed an agreement with Launch on Demand, a Florida company that offers spacesport solutions. Burton Catledge signed for Launch on Demand and Luis Soto for the DNI. The company is contracted to first conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing a commercial spaceport near the equator.
The company promises that every available spaceport will soon serve as a central hub for both sub and outer orbit launches. By 2025, 20,000 new satellites are predicted to be placed in orbit, and over 200 private launches are expected to be conducted.
The DNI is the government entity that was created to centralize national intelligence actions and is in charge of collecting and analyzing data to prevent risks and threats to national security.
Diario Libre reports the story was first published in Space News.
Space News reported that Burton Catledge, Launch on Demand’s CEO, has said the study will focus on the Oviedo area in Barahona and will include flight corridor analysis, climatology assessment, physical security evaluation, airspace/maritime impacts, and frequency deconfliction.
“Like many other countries, the Dominican Republic views access to space from its sovereign territory as a national security imperative,” Catledge said.
As reported in Space News, Catledge explained that the study will examine vertical lift capacity for orbital and suborbital missions, which he said would enable the country improve critical satellite monitoring and surveillance capabilities to address illegal migration, drug trafficking and environmental damage.
“The agreement with the DNI focuses on near-term national security concerns but intends to rapidly expand to support the commercial space industry in Latin America,” Catledge told SpaceNews via email.
“Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center are running out of capacity and launch companies are looking for a cost-effective and safe location that
On the Launch on Demand website, the Florida company explains: With only 20 locations capable of achieving this type of launch to date, it is clear that the limiting factor is a lack of facilities for vehicles to launch from. With the increase of capable spaceports across the globe, launches will be conducted in a smoother and more efficient manner, thus decreasing the overall cost of operations.
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Diario Libre
Space News
Launch on Demand
DNI
Burton Catledge
23 May 2024