A Foundation for Defense of Democracies submission recommends evaluating spaceport capacity through the missions a facility can support, rather than treating the number of launch sites as a sufficient measure of national capability.
The October 26, 2026 submission, written by Emmerson Overell, addresses a Federal Aviation Administration request for information on new spaceport locations and priority airspace for designated launch corridors. It recommends comparing expansion at existing facilities, including Kodiak and Wallops, with the development of new sites.
These are policy recommendations. The submission does not approve a spaceport, authorize construction, or establish a launch corridor.
Capacity Depends on Mission Requirements
A launch site must accommodate the vehicle using it and provide access to the required trajectory. A facility suited to one rocket or orbital destination may not provide a substitute for another.
Supporting facilities also determine whether a site can conduct a mission. Payload processing, tracking, utilities, and trained personnel contribute to usable capacity. A launch pad without the supporting systems required by its operator is not equivalent to a fully prepared launch capability.
The FAA request for information, published August 25, provides the government consultation underlying the submission. It identifies a concentration of launch activity, with 83% associated with three sites, as context for examining additional capacity.
That concentration does not by itself determine which expansion projects would provide the most useful alternative. The answer depends on mission compatibility and the facilities available at each location.
Existing Facilities and Priority Airspace
Overell’s submission calls for considering established facilities alongside new locations. Expansion can make use of infrastructure already present, but the relevant comparison remains the specific capability delivered by each project.
The submission also recommends defining criteria for priority airspace associated with urgent launches. That would require specifying which missions qualify and how their access would be coordinated with other airspace users.
Offshore launch concepts appear as another possible approach. They remain proposals unless a particular platform has obtained the infrastructure, operating arrangements, and authorizations needed for its intended activity.
New Space Economy’s capacity analysis examines the supporting systems behind higher launch and reentry activity. The FDD submission’s specific contribution is a framework for comparing sites through the missions and operating capabilities they can actually support.
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