Sigmund Freund: no public funds for Pedernales spaceport

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican government will limit its role in the planned satellite port in Oviedo, Pedernales province, to granting permits, licenses, and land, according to Minister of Public Administration Sigmund Freund. He emphasized that the project will be fully financed by the U.S. company Launch On Demand (LOD Holdings) and will not require public funds.

Freund explained that the company selected the Dominican Republic due to its strategic location near the equator, which offers advantages for space launches, and noted that U.S. launch sites currently face delays of up to two years. He said the area near Cabo Rojo International Airport has undergone three years of technical and pre-feasibility studies confirming its suitability. While foreign specialists will initially lead operations, the plan includes training Dominicans to join the workforce within two years. Preliminary assessments suggest minimal environmental impact, pending further studies.

President Luis Abinader announced during his February 27 address that the agreement with Launch On Demand represents an investment of more than $600 million, with the first satellite or rocket launch from Dominican territory projected before May 2028. Officials also highlighted the potential for the spaceport to become a tourism attraction, similar to Florida’s Cape Canaveral.