Aleut Partners with SpinLaunch to Build Space Catapult on Adak Island
One-third the diameter of a centrifuge planned for Adak Island, SpinLaunch’s Suborbital Accelerator in New Mexico is the largest span vacuum chamber ever built, capable of accelerating payloads to 5,000 miles per hour.
Photo Credit: SpinLaunch
Using land that once supported US efforts to counter invading Japanese forces during World War II, Aleut regional corporation is partnering with California-based SpinLaunch, a company developing a novel way to send payloads into Earth orbit.
Favorable Launch Conditions
Unlike fuel-burning rockets, SpinLaunch uses a ground-based, electric-powered kinetic launcher to accelerate payloads to hypersonic speeds. The company has conducted a series of suborbital flight tests with its centrifuge at Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Orbital launches would require a centrifuge literally as wide as a football field.
Aleut and SpinLaunch announced last week that they had finalized a lease agreement in October 2024 for land on Adak Island. SpinLaunch identified Adak as a prime location due to its geographic, logistical, and energy advantages. The company says the island’s location offers access to favorable launch trajectories over the Pacific Ocean without too much disruption to maritime or air traffic. The island’s airport and deepwater port, legacy infrastructure from the former Naval Air Facility, can be repurposed to support operations. And Adak has potential for wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy to power the launch hardware.
The companies hope to position Adak as a key location in the space launch sector while driving economic growth for the region.
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April 2025
Assessing the Possibilities
Adak Island holds deep cultural significance and has a rich military history. During World War II, Adak was a pivotal site in the Aleutian Campaign. In the post-war era, it played a significant role in Cold War military strategy. After military operations ceased in 1997, the US Navy transferred 47,150 acres and existing infrastructure to Aleut in 2004.
Hillsides of Adak Island, which Aleut regional corporation is leasing to SpinLaunch, would combine with leftover US Navy infrastructure to develop a satellite launch facility.
Photo Credit: SpinLaunch
“Aleut is committed to driving economic growth on Adak while respecting its rich Unangax̂ heritage,” says Aleut President and CEO Skoey Vergen. “This partnership with SpinLaunch reflects our dedication to creating shareholder value through sustainable development while fostering innovation in the Aleutian region.”
While the Orbital Launch System is still experimental, plans to establish groundwork for a SpinLaunch base on Adak are underway. Currently, work includes environmental surveying, infrastructure assessments, regulatory compliance, and economic impact studies. Both companies are working to align technical requirements with community priorities, ensuring that Adak’s strategic advantages are leveraged to their full potential while fostering economic opportunities for the community.
“SpinLaunch is committed to working closely with Aleut to build a sustainable, next-generation launch facility that aligns with our customers, supports technical innovation, and reflects the interests of the local community,” says David Wrenn, SpinLaunch’s CEO. “By leveraging Adak’s strategic location and infrastructure, we can accelerate the deployment of our kinetic launch system while contributing to the long-term prosperity of the region.”
While assessing the Adak Island site, SpinLaunch is separately developing communications satellites through a side project called Meridian Space. A constellation of 250 satellites would use high-performance, electronically scanned reflectarray antennae.
Photo Credit: SpinLaunch
Founded in 2014, SpinLaunch is headquartered in Long Beach, California. Earlier this year, it unveiled Meridian Space, a constellation of 250 communications satellites. Wrenn says Meridian Space will focus on government and business customers, unlike the consumer services that SpaceX’s Starlink constellation and Amazon’s upcoming Project Kuiper are offering. With deployment scheduled in 2027, the 70 kg satellites will go into orbit on rockets; the Meridian Space side project could generate cashflow for SpinLaunch to complete its Adak facility.
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