Alaska Aerospace opens bids for Pad 3D Complex mechanical and plumbing work at Kodiak spaceport

Two public solicitations posted by Alaska Aerospace Corporation show the state-owned corporation is seeking subcontractors for work on a new Pad 3D Complex at the Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska on Kodiak Island, opening a concrete contracting window for Alaska-based firms.

AAC posted solicitation AAC-26-014 seeking a mechanical subcontractor and AAC-26-013 seeking a plumbing subcontractor, both scoped to the new Pad 3D Complex at PSCA. The plumbing package includes 97 pages of drawings for Pad D. The mechanical solicitation calls for installation of the full range of mechanical support systems and infrastructure in accordance with attached drawings and a Statement of Work. Both solicitations are posted through notice.alaska.gov, where interested contractors can access the full RFP documents, attachments, and submission requirements.

The timing of the solicitations coincides with a newly disclosed Department of Defense launch contract awarded to Rocket Lab, which social media posts described Tuesday as a $266 million firm-fixed-price agreement covering 12 suborbital launches with an option for six more, to be completed by the end of 2028, at PSCA. Those posts are unverified by primary documents in this source; the Rocket Lab contract is treated here as unconfirmed context. The solicitations themselves indicate that AAC is seeking subcontractors for work on a new Pad 3D Complex.

Facility and Expansion Context

PSCA occupies 3,700 acres of state-owned land on Kodiak Island and has operated since 1998 under Alaska Aerospace Corporation, a state-owned entity. The facility includes a 17-story rocket assembly building and a mission control center with 64 workstations. The Pad 3D Complex solicitations are the first procurement-stage notices for this project to appear in the public record reviewed for this story.

John Oberst, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alaska Aerospace Corporation, said upon his selection to lead the organization that he looked forward to working with partners "to expand launch capabilities at the Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska."

How to Respond

Contractors should review the full RFP packages at notice.alaska.gov; the mechanical solicitation is listed under reference number AAC-26-014 and the plumbing solicitation under AAC-26-013. Submission deadlines and point-of-contact information are contained within the RFP documents themselves.