ALASKA SPACE BUSINESS HAS HIGH HOPES

Juneau: When most people think of Alaska, they picture its thick forests, hulking grizzly bears and soaring, snow-covered peaks. What they might not imagine is rockets whisking defense and other payloads into space. But America’s northernmost state has that too, entering the high-tech aerospace business more than 25 years ago as it looked to diversify its oil-reliant economy. The stateowned Alaska Aerospace Corp. hit a low point after a rocket exploded at its launch site in 2014 amid a deepening state deficit. The governor later gave it an ultimatum: Become self-sustaining or shut down. Today, Alaska Aerospace has rebuilt its launch site and is again showing signs of liftoff. It is no longer confined to Alaska or government contracts, recently winning, for example, a deal with Rocket Lab to track the company’s rockets and monitor its onboard systems in New Zealand. Governor Bill Walker said he is impressed by the corporation’s aggressive pursuit of contracts and its “transformation.” His budget office recently freed $2.2 million in state money previously earmarked for the corporation for launch site improvements. “Two years ago, we had a failed rocket, and we had a destroyed facility, and we had no customers,” Alaska Aerospace CEO Craig Campbell said. “We’ve turned the corner.” Alaska sought to develop its aerospace sector in 1991 as states and private organizations were looking to capture a piece of a space industry that had once been the domain of Nasa. Alaska Aerospace now runs one of 10 commercial launch sites in the US that are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration.