A fire has caused “irrecoverable damage” to a rocket that was initially expected to launch this summer from the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska on Kodiak Island. That’s after a ground test went awry at the facility, which is located on Narrow Cape, near the end of the island’s road system, on the evening of July 19.
According to a press release from the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, a fire developed on a launch pad during a routine ground test around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, July 19. The fire was “brief” and there were no injuries or damages to the infrastructure at the complex. The Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska has its own trained first responders on site and they were able to fully contain the fire in a timely manner according to the corporation.
John Oberst, the chief executive officer of Alaska Aerospace, said a static fire started in a rocket at one of the launch pads on site at Area 3, but exactly why the routine test failed is unknown.
“It was a ground test and it did involve a small duration engine fires, which means starting the engine. But beyond that I would have to have the launch provider provide that information," Oberst explained. "It was a normal test, testing the engine, and yes the engines were lit.”
This was not a rocket launch, just a routine test for a rocket owned by ABL Space Systems. After July 19's failed test though, the company said on the social media platform “X” that this particular rocket was damaged beyond repair, meaning it won’t be usable for a future launch.
ABL Space System is focusing its efforts on the launch market to send small satellites into space via its RS1 rocket. According to the company’s website, their rocket is 88-feet-tall (27 meters) and can carry a payload of 2,975 pounds to low Earth orbit (LEO).
ABL was expected to launch its RS1 rocket from the spaceport on Kodiak Island at some point this summer. It had pushed the timeline back as more tests were completed in the last few months. According to Payloadspace.com, Scout Space wanted to send its first standalone spacecraft to orbit aboard the third flight of ABL’s RS1 rocket, potentially within the next six months.
Now, Oberst said it’s unlikely the company will be able to launch a rocket before the end of this year.
This is the second mishap for the California aerospace company at Kodiak’s spaceport. In January of 2023, ABL attempted, unsuccessfully, to launch its RS1 rocket carrying small satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). The rocket's base heat shield was overloaded, shut down all nine of its engines, and crash-landed on the launch pad. That crash destroyed the rocket and did significant damage to the surrounding spaceport infrastructure.
Despite the setback on July 19 for ABL, Oberst said this failed test and subsequent fire won’t affect plans for other companies to launch rockets at the spaceport next year.
“As we move into 2025, the calendar year, we’ll see other customers out there and they won’t have as much flexibility as they’ve had in the past. And they know that," Oberst said. "So I expect a few launches next year, both commercial and government, and hopefully they [ABL] will be one of them.”
A post-test review is currently underway with multiple agencies involved. Oberst said a private contractor is on site reviewing soil samples and determining what the risk of environmental contamination is from this failed test. He adds that most of the fuel onboard that could have spilled from the rocket was consumed by the fire.
