Florida's Launch On Demand Plans $600 Million Spaceport in Dominican Republic

Florida-based Launch On Demand (LOD) is proceeding with plans to construct a commercial spaceport valued at approximately $600 million in the Dominican Republic's Pedernales province. President Luis Abinader officially announced the project on February 27, 2026, during his State of the Nation address. The facility is strategically located near Oviedo, close to the Haitian border, intended to leverage the nation's equatorial proximity for improved launch efficiency.

The venture, entirely financed by private equity without direct government subsidies, is scheduled for its inaugural satellite or rocket launch from Dominican territory before May 2028, following three years of negotiations with LOD and associated U.S. investment funds. Beyond the launch complex, the development includes supporting infrastructure such as a 200-megawatt energy hub, logistics systems, water treatment, and a desalination plant intended to benefit both space operations and the surrounding rural community.

LOD Chief Executive Officer Burton Catledge, a former Commander of the US Air Force's 45th Operations Group, frames the spaceport as a strategic measure against the increasing geopolitical presence of the People's Republic of China across Latin America. This geopolitical context aligns with recent findings from a U.S. House select committee, which alleged that China has established at least eleven dual-use space facilities in countries including Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile, and Brazil, potentially enhancing intelligence collection and challenging U.S. strategic influence.

President Abinader has termed the agreement "historic," positioning the spaceport as a key element in diversifying the Dominican economy beyond tourism and mining, alongside technological partnerships with entities like Nvidia and Google. The proposal is projected to transform Pedernales into a significant logistics and tourism center, potentially creating nearly 25,000 jobs across Oviedo and nearby municipalities such as Independencia and Bahoruco.

The private operation introduces significant international legal considerations regarding state responsibility. Under the 1972 Liability Convention, the Dominican State assumes absolute international responsibility for any damage caused on the Earth's surface or to aircraft in flight resulting from a launch, regardless of fault. Furthermore, Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty obligates the Dominican Government to authorize and continually supervise non-governmental entities, meaning the success of the project is contingent upon the immediate implementation of comprehensive regulations to manage this inherent state liability.