KODIAK, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Aerospace Corp. has put a new barge dock project in Pasagshak on hold after it failed to receive a federal grant.
The corporation sought a construction grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. However, they only Alaska project to receive DOT funding in the program was for street improvements in Alakanuk, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported (https://is.gd/a5tetM).
The corporation has shelved the barge project, said chief operating officer Mark Greby.
“It’s still on our list of things to do, but we’re not really going forward with it right now,” he said.
Officials have said the dock would be key to developing a pad to launch medium-lift rockets, which would be difficult to transport from Kodiak city, and also provide direct access at Narrow Cape.
The state has set aside $25 million for the pad, but corporation officials don’t want to expand until a launch is contracted and scheduled.
“We only need that barge dock if we are going to build that medium-lift,” Greby said.
Two companies have expressed interest in using Kodiak as a launch site for medium-lift rockets.
However, neither has committed. Greby said he doesn’t see that happening in the “near one-year future.”
He said the corporation will continue to work on environmental assessments in case the idea of a dock returns.
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Information from: Kodiak (Alaska) Daily Mirror, https://www.kodiakdailymirror.com
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