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Alaska Aerospace starts to plan Kodiak housing for Golden Dome workers

Alaska Aerospace runs the Pacific Spaceport Complex at the end of Kodiak's road system.
Brian Venua
/
KMXT
Alaska Aerospace runs the Pacific Spaceport Complex at the end of Kodiak's road system.

The state's aerospace corporation is putting out feelers to contractors who may build temporary Kodiak Island housing for workers on the Trump administration's Golden Dome missile defense system next year.

Alaska Aerospace Corp. CEO John Oberst confirmed that a request for information it published on Aug. 6 is related to the development of Golden Dome.

"Everything we do right now is related to the Golden Dome nexus," Oberst said.

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Oberst said the corporation does not have a contract with the federal government and hasn't received many details about its potential project. He declined to comment further, in deference to the federal government.

The aerospace corporation's request for information calls for "non-permanent" facilities at the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska set up in late 2026 to support military operations. Including separate housing for men and women, an exercise room, along with dining, shower and laundry facilities. This could support a range of 150 to 500 people with the corporation's best planning figure being 250, plus or minus 100, according to the notice.

Oberst has previously said that Golden Dome will likely bring more money and development to Alaska's rocket launch sites.

Green and white mobile housing units were temporarily setup at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska leading up to Israel's missile defense tests in 2019.
Stacy Studebaker /
Green and white mobile housing units were temporarily setup at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska leading up to Israel's missile defense tests in 2019.

The U.S. government and Israel Defense Ministry stood up similar temporary facilities at the spaceport on Kodiak Island several years ago to house roughly 200 workers coming in to conduct tests for Israel's missile defense system. The tests were conducted in 2019 and after they were finished, all of the temporary housing was removed.

Last week's notice is solely for information and planning purposes and is subject to change.

But it is expected to help develop a formal contract solicitation. Oberst expects the corporation will be able to issue a formal request for proposals by the end of this year.
Copyright 2025 KMXT

Davis Hovey has been reporting in Alaska for nearly a decade and currently works at KMXT in Kodiak. Hovey was born and raised in Virginia. He spent most of his childhood in rural Virginia just outside of Charlottesville where University of Virginia is located. Hovey was drawn in by the opportunity to work for a radio station in a remote, unique place like Nome, Alaska. Hovey went to Syracuse University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Broadcast Digital Journalism.